


Penguins Don't Have Knees

by amy_lupin



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Anal Sex, Except For A Short Glimpse From Gwen's Perspective, Friends With Benefits, Hand Jobs, Heterosexual Porn Watching, M/M, POV Arthur, Porn With Plot, Rimming, Seriously Objectionable Way Of Referring To Women, Sexuality Awakening, Sexuality Crisis, This Is Nothing But A Shameless Excuse To Write Porn, Underage Drinking, Underage Sex, Watching Porn Together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-02-19
Packaged: 2019-10-31 19:18:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 29,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17855477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amy_lupin/pseuds/amy_lupin
Summary: Between studying for A-Levels and attending football practices, Arthur didn’t have that much free time for dating. Besides, girlfriends were too much work. Therefore, it was only natural that he spent an unreasonable amount of time watching porn on the internet. Merlin, on the other hand, despite also being single - not to mention a virgin - didn’t seem to enjoy watching porn as much as he did, so Arthur took it upon himself to find out exactly what worked for Merlin. What were friends for if not for this, anyway?





	Penguins Don't Have Knees

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is a fill for an old Kink Me! Merlin prompt, which I transcribed at the end notes, in case you want to read it first.
> 
> Please mind the tags before reading.
> 
> In case you've read them and you're still willing to read this, well then, enjoy!
> 
> Thanks to my dear friends **Matt** and **Lala**!

“Arthur, your _boyfriend_ is here!”

Arthur cursed as he heard Morgana's shout from downstairs. He should probably go get Merlin before he had a heart attack, but he was about to beat a very difficult level and he would be damned if he paused the game now.

“Send him up!” He shouted back. The door to his room was open, so he hoped she would hear him.

“You see? He doesn't even deny it anymore,” he heard Morgana's teasing and rolled his eyes at the provocation.

He was too busy to care now, though. Morgana liked calling her friends ‘girlfriends’, so she found it amusing to extend the joke to Arthur's friends as well. Arthur used to get more annoyed at her, but he had learned that the best way to beat his big sister was to ignore her, so he stopped caring. Granted, she had stopped doing it at some point. At least until Merlin joined Arthur's inner circle of friends.

Morgana loves teasing Merlin.

Well, Arthur could actually relate to that. Merlin was just so funny to tease! He always had a smart retort at the tip of his tongue and the way he glared at Arthur when he was annoyed made Arthur want to poke him even more until he snapped or broke into a nice and honest laugh, which lit up his whole face.

With Morgana, though, he just blushed and stuttered. Arthur snorted at glancing at his friend’s reddened face as Merlin came into the room.

Merlin had had a massive crush on Morgana since the first day he stepped into Arthur's house. Arthur was used to his friends lusting after his sister, but Merlin was so out of her league it was bordering on embarrassing.

“Close the door,” Arthur said instead of greeting him. “And keep your mouth shut until I’m done here.”

“Prat,” Merlin said as he threw his backpack over Arthur's desk, but Arthur could tell he didn't put his heart on the word. “Next you’ll tell me to do your test in your place, just so you don't have to waste any of your precious time studying more than absolutely necessary.”

“Is this you shutting your mouth?”

“No, this is me telling you to get your lazy bottom up and get to study already.”

“Hey!” Arthur started to protest, not sure if he was more affronted by Merlin's words or the fact that he was blocking the TV, forcing him to pause the game.

“Arthur, I had to promise to help Gaius at the store on Saturday in order to come here today, so we better get started now.”

Arthur blew the air from his lungs. “Fine.”

Merlin wasn't exactly the kind of friend Arthur was used to hang out with. His other friends were all in one school team or the other, but Merlin wasn’t into sports. He was a bookworm and a downright nerd, and yet he wasn’t bad to have around. Specially on the day before a History test.

Arthur hated reading, more so when the subject didn't particularly call to him. The teacher was a bore and Arthur could not concentrate to save his life. Merlin, on the other hand, loved History and Literature and the likes of it. He also often offered to read poetry whenever Prof. Monmouth asked for a volunteer and Arthur suspected he had some of them memorized! Honestly, who spontaneously read poetry?

Merlin could go on for hours about British History, and that was precisely why Arthur asked for his help with studying. He could actually pay attention to what Merlin said, although he would die before admitting it out loud. Merlin had a way with telling stories which left Arthur hanging on his every word.

The hours flew by as they studied and before they knew it, it was close to dinner time.

“You should stay the night,” Arthur said when George came in to announce dinner was served.

“I don't know…” Merlin scratched the back of his head. “What will your father think?”

Uther wasn't very pleased with Arthur's choice of friends. Except for Leon, whose family was respectable enough to his standards. Merlin wasn't an exception, what with being a scholarship student and having a single mother. Not to mention his questionable sense of fashion.

“He’s away on business,” Arthur clarified. “And even if he wasn’t, he’s never home, so he wouldn’t know either way.”

Merlin still looked reluctant. “What about school tomorrow? I didn't bring an extra change of clothes.”

“You can borrow my old uniform. Come on, we can play video games until late and no one will care.”

“We have a test tomorrow.”

Arthur gave him an eye roll. “We’re not going to do an all-nighter. I’ll talk to your mother, if I must.”

Merlin sighed, finally giving up. “Alright, but _I'll_ be the one calling my mom.”

They had dinner in Arthur's room, since Uther wasn't there to scold them and Morgana didn't care to sit at the dinner table when she wasn't forced to. They played video games until eleven o’clock, when Merlin started pestering him about having a proper night’s sleep before the test and Arthur knew better than to try and change his mind.

There were plenty of guest rooms in the house, but Arthur chose to set up a mattress beside his bed for Merlin, as he used to do whenever one of his closest friends slept over. Merlin seemed relieved at not having to spend his first night there in one of the big rooms, all by himself.

Needless to say Arthur teased him for that.

Arthur used the en-suite bathroom first to get ready for bed and left a brand new toothbrush at the sink for Merlin.

He was pulling the bedcovers and thinking about labeling the toothbrush just in case Merlin happened to spend the night again in the future when he heard Merlin's muffled cry of surprise.

“What was that?” Arthur asked at the closed bathroom door. “Everything alright in there?”

“Um. Yeah. Sure,” came Merlin's reply. Once he left the bathroom, his cheeks were slightly colored. “Interesting choice of reading you have in there.”

Arthur stared blankly at him before remembering. “Oh, you mean the magazine?”

Merlin looked thinner than ever in Arthur's old pajamas. When he spoke again, he kept his eyes down, focusing on stuffing his backpack with his used clothes. “How did you even get that? I can't picture your father as the kind of guy who buys it for himself, let alone for his son.”

Arthur grimaced. “Ugh. Thanks for the mental image. I borrowed this one from my uncle when I last visited him.”

“You mean you _stole_ it from your uncle?”

Arthur dismissed the comment with a wave of his hand. “He won't miss it. He has tons of it. Besides, you keep telling me I should read more and find something I actually like reading. Well, I have!”

Merlin snorted. “It bloody figures.”

“Oh come on, have you looked at it?” Arthur watched Merlin look away, looking sheepish. “You haven't, have you? For God's sake, Merlin…”

Arthur went to the bathroom and picked up the magazine. He placed it on his bed and threatened to rub it in Merlin's face if he didn't stop acting like a blushing virgin and joined him already.

It took some more convincing, but Merlin finally gave in and joined him. They laid on their stomachs as Arthur flipped the magazine, intent on Merlin's reaction.

Mostly, he looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there, up to the point when they reached a very explicit picture of girl with her legs spread open. Then Merlin looked like he was going to be sick.

“What is it now? It's just a naked woman, Merlin.”

Arthur had found out his uncle's stash when he was nine and had had sex for the first time when he turned fourteen, so he didn't see what the big fuss was about. Besides, he had just broken up with Sophia a couple of weeks ago, so it was only natural that he kept a magazine at hand to help him cope with the forced abstinence.

“It's… a bit gross, isn't it?” Merlin added uncertainly, giving Arthur a sideways glance.

“Gross?” Arthur simply gaped at him for a while. “Are you a sissy, by any chance?”

“Fuck off!” Merlin said, nudging him away.

“So, if you saw a pussy right in front of you, all wet and ready, begging for your cock, you’d rather puke than screw it?”

Merlin pulled a face. “Jesus, Arthur, we’re talking about a woman here, not a thing! You shouldn't refer to them for their… lady parts like this! That's just rude!”

“Oh, right,” Arthur mocked. “So you’d tell her, 'Excuse me, madam, could you please cover yourself? Your _lady parts_ makes me feel queasy’?”

“Oh, knock it off, you ass!”

“So it's okay to refer to me by my bottom, then?”

“It's not-” Merlin started, but Arthur interrupted him by throwing a pillow right at his face. Merlin glared at him and Arthur burst into laughter.

They forgot about the magazine for a while in favor of a pillow fight, and then Merlin insisted they should go to sleep. Arthur let him have it his way, but he sneaked the magazine in Merlin's backpack the next morning when he wasn't looking and then waited patiently for the moment he would find it out.

Just before the test, Arthur watched Merlin blush from his neck to the tip of his ears when he found it, after rummaging through his backpack for his pen. Arthur had to bite the inside of his cheeks not to laugh out loud when Merlin took advantage of the moment Professor Monmouth turned his back on the class to surreptitiously give him the finger.

.Merlin.

The next time Merlin slept over, after helping Arthur with an essay about Emily Bronte’s _Wuthering Heights,_ Arthur made him watch porn. Again, as they sat side by side on the mattress facing the screen of Arthur's laptop, Merlin looked equal parts embarrassed and grossed out.

“How can she be begging for it?” He asked, baffled. “Look at the size of that thing! It must _hurt_!”

Arthur shrugged. “She probably has had bigger.”

Merlin didn't seem too convinced. “It's not very realistic, though, is it? I really doubt this position is comfortable for any of them.”

“ _Mer_ lin,” Arthur huffed, “it’s supposed to be aesthetic, not  comfortable. Can't you just… sit back and enjoy? I mean, realistic or not, don't you feel turned on in the slightest by watching it?”

Merlin wrinkled his nose. He tilted his head to the side, as if trying to see it from a new angle. “I don't know...”

Arthur was curious now. He tried to be discreet as he looked down on Merlin's crotch, but he found no sign of arousal there. “Perhaps she's not your type?”

Merlin tilted his head to the other side. He suppressed a yawn then, getting up from Arthur's bed and moving to his mattress on the floor. “I’m too tired for this. Enjoy yourself.”

“What is _wrong_ with you?”

“Excuse me? What is wrong with _you_! Are you really this obsessed with porn?”

“Aren't you? Last time I checked, you were still a teenager _and_ a virgin.”

Not that Merlin had ever told him the last part, but neither he had to. The fact that he did not bother correcting Arthur only confirmed it.

“It doesn't automatically turns me into a wanker.”

Arthur heard the implicit 'like you’ at the end of that statement and started to object, but Merlin cut him off.

“Besides, it's too fake and impersonal to my likes.”

And just like that, he turned his back on Arthur and went to sleep, leaving the blond gaping at him, thoroughly annoyed.

.oOo.

Arthur refused to accept Merlin's reasons for disliking porn. There must have been another explanation. Perhaps something in the video had put him off, specifically. All Arthur had to do was find the right ones.

Arthur had always been one to take challenges seriously. Besides, between studying for A-Levels to appease his father's worries and attending football practices, he didn’t have that much free time to go to parties and get laid, which forced him to take measures by hand anyway. Therefore, it was only natural that he spent an unreasonable amount of time searching for the good stuff.

He searched specifically for the videos where the woman looked similar enough to his sister for Merlin's likes, and different enough for his own sanity. He also favored the ones the guy had an average sized dick. It wasn't an easy quest, but he found some options. After that, he invited Merlin to a weekend sleepover, using Morgana’s Doctor Who DVD collection as bait.

As expected, Merlin fell for it hook. Later, when Arthur turned his laptop on and beckoned Merlin closer, he only sighed in resignation. This time, Arthur set the computer on his desk, from where he could keep a closer look to Merlin's every reaction.

At first, Merlin seemed mildly curious, albeit reluctant, but mostly non impressed. Arthur was starting to think about moving to the next video when something changed in Merlin's demeanor. He stopped snorting over everything and became very quiet and still. His eyes were glued to the screen as the tall and slightly muscular guy thrusted into the brunette's hairless pussy.

Arthur divided his attention between the video and Merlin, trying to guess exactly what had caused such a rapt interest. The woman moaned and pulled the guy down to a breathless kiss. Merlin's lips parted. Her not-so-big boobs shook with every slap of skin on skin. Halfway to the video, the guy grabbed her and turned her around with not so much finesse, then started pumping her from behind. Arthur watched Merlin's breath hitch, his cheeks reddening slightly. He surreptitiously looked down on Merlin's crotch and noticed the bulge in his pajama pants.

Arthur felt his own cock twitching and realized he was hard as well. He had jacked off to this video before, so he wasn't surprised. He looked back at Merlin's face when the woman's moans became high-pitched cries of pleasure and suddenly, Merlin snapped awake from his trance, his eyes finding Arthur's briefly before he looked away.

“Uh,” he said, crossing his hands on his lower abdomen to cover up the evidence of his arousal. “I’ll, uh, be right back.”

Arthur smiled smugly to himself as he watched Merlin stumble into the bathroom, locking the door. Grinning to himself, Arthur crossed his arms at the back of his head and leaned back on his chair as he stared at the screen, unseeing. He allowed the satisfaction of his accomplishment to take over as he remembered Merlin's flushed face. He wondered if Merlin would be bold enough to beat off or if he would stay there until he willed his erection away. He bet on the last option.

He did not press his luck, though. When Merlin finally came out of the bathroom avoiding looking at him, Arthur had already turned the computer off as well as the lights, leaving only the bedside lamp on while he moved past Merlin to brush his teeth.

He decided there would be time for the other videos later.

.Merlin.

It became something close to a tradition. Whenever Merlin slept over, they would watch some porn before going to sleep. They weren't always silent at it, sometimes making comments about one insignificant detail or other as if they were professional reviewers. Arthur hadn't dated anyone since Sophia, at least nothing serious, so he had lots of time to search for quality stuff, even though it was like looking for a needle in a haystack, most of the time.

In time, Arthur had learned what Merlin liked more in a porn movie - blowjob and doggystyle were on the top of the list - and what put him off. Merlin wasn't particularly keen on going down on a girl, for what Arthur gathered, even though it looked like he would kill for getting his cock sucked. He also didn’t care for big boobs and curvy bodies on the girls, preferring them slender and nearly flat-chested, which was strange, since it was the exact opposite of Morgana’s body type. Anyhow, Arthur wasn’t inclined to protest, for it meant he didn’t have to think about his sister at all while choosing good porn.

Merlin had learned how to better dissimulate his arousal, but Arthur was certain he could tell just how turned on Merlin was at the most discreet signs. They often took turns on the bathroom later and Arthur made sure to let a tube of lube near the toilet. Sometimes Arthur though he could hear the familiar slap of slicked skin through the door while Merlin jerked off, although he never heard Merlin make any sound apart from that.

They had been doing this for a while when Arthur discovered another spot-on for Merlin.

Anal.

Arthur found it out when Merlin straight out moaned in the middle of a video, making Arthur turn his eyes at him in surprise. It became clear Merlin had done it completely by accident when he blushed from his neck to the tip of his ears.

Arthur was dying to tease him for it, but he knew better than giving into it, so he turned back to the screen and pretended nothing out of ordinary had happened.

On the inside, though, he was thrilled by the discovery. He started to favor the videos with that tag, since he found that he enjoyed them as much as Merlin did. Perhaps even more than Merlin, if he were to be honest with himself. Sophia and Vivian, his ex-girlfriends, hadn't been willing to try it, although Arthur hadn't been that disappointed at the time. He had been happy to do it anyway as long as he kept getting laid on a regular basis.

“Do you think she's faking it?” Arthur asked in conversational tone during one of their sessions. He did not bother to take his eyes away from the screen as the girl's moanings and squirming became more desperate while the guy slammed it into her ass hard.

Merlin shrugged at his side, his eyes glued to the screen as well. “I guess it can be pleasurable for anyone with enough preparation.”

“Anyone?” Arthur asked a few moans later.

“Yeah, guys too, I guess. Actually, it can be even more pleasurable for guys, what with the prostate and everything.” Merlin stopped talking and looked at Arthur, who had been staring at him with a raised eyebrow from the very start of his answer. “Or so I heard,” he amended, looking away in self-consciousness.

Arthur continued watching him closely. “And where did you happen to hear about this?”

Merlin shrugged once more. “Actually, I read about it. On the internet. It was a scientific article, of course.”

“Of course,” Arthur agreed with barely disguised amusement.

He might have googled it later, but it was just because he couldn't have Merlin knowing more about anal sex than him, could he now?

.Merlin.

One Saturday, Arthur came back late from his football practice and sent Merlin a message while climbing up the stairs to his room.

‘ _I’m home. Are you coming?_ ’

' _Already here._ ’ Merlin answered. ' _By the pool._ ’

Frowning, Arthur dropped his bag over his bed and climbed down the stairs in a hurry. Why would Merlin be at the pool? Hadn’t Morgana mentioned earlier that week that she’d be calling her friends over? Only Arthur didn't understand how Merlin happened to be there as well. His sister was adamant that no boy was allowed near her girlfriends when she had them over. Arthur wondered if Merlin needed saving from them.

Arthur slid the glass doors to the indoors pool with such force he almost took it off its rails. As soon as he did that, he heard laughter and he immediately pictured the girls making fun of Merlin. And there he saw his friend sitting on a lawn chair fully clothed, trapped between two brunette girls.

As Arthur strode towards the chairs, he could see Morgause staring at him from the other side of the pool, managing to look scary while lazing under the artificial illumination and sipping at a fruity drink. He recognised Guinevere from their biology and mathematics class sitting by the edge of the pool in a beautiful red bathing suit. Normally, he would flirt with her, like he used to do, and watch her blush and smile back at him, if only to see Merlin roll his eyes at him - well, she was pretty easy on the eyes, even more so in that outfit - but now he had more urgent matters to attend.

Merlin happened to be flanked by Morgana at one side and no other than Freya at the other, the girl he used to pair with at lab classes. Arthur didn't even know she and Morgana knew each other, but it wasn't as if he kept tabs on his sister's friends.

“What's going on here?” Arthur asked as he approached them.

They all looked at Arthur at hearing his voice, including Merlin. Far from looking intimidated by his company, though, Merlin had a persistent smile on his face. He looked far too comfortable lying in the chair in his jeans and shirt with a smoothie in hand.

Morgana scowled. “We _were_ having fun. How many times do I have to tell you not to come down here when I have visitors? We could be going topless!”

Arthur arched an eyebrow at her. “ _Merlin_ 's here.”

“ _Merlin_ was invited here. Unlike you. Just because he’s your boyfriend doesn't mean you can crash my party like this.”

Arthur noticed Freya's eyes going round at those words. “Oh,” she said, looking from Arthur to Merlin.

Before Arthur could say anything, Merlin sat up straight. “No, no, he’s not my boyfriend. I mean, we’re not…” He trailed off at realizing everyone was looking at him now.

For some reason, the fact that Merlin had been so quick to enlighten Freya bothered Arthur more than his sister's mocking. “Come on, Merlin,” he called in a commanding tone.

Merlin was already starting to get up when Morgana pulled him down again.

“Why, Arthur, are you guys late for something?” She asked in a lazy, almost disinterested tone. “I was just asking Merlin what is it that you guys do locked up in your room all day.”

“It's none of your business.” Arthur looked at Merlin again. “Are you coming or what?”

Merlin excused himself as he stood up, leaving his smoothie on top of a nearby table and following Arthur.

“What was so funny?” Arthur asked grumpily once they got back inside and headed for the stairs.

“Sorry?” Merlin said in puzzlement.

“When I arrived, you were all laughing at something,” Arthur elaborated. “What could have possibly been so funny?”

“Oh,” Merlin sounded amused. “I had just told them Gwaine's joke about the two drunks and the beer keg.”

Arthur huffed in annoyance. “I still can't see why all the laughter.”

Merlin shrugged as he entered Arthur's room after him. “Well, it's a good joke.”

They played video games all afternoon and most through the evening, stopping only to make themselves a sandwich each for dinner and eating in Arthur's room. Just like always, Arthur turned his laptop on before bed and scrolled through the websites he used to visit before picking up the most promising video. Merlin didn't make a point of choosing, so Arthur didn't even ask.

Arthur purposefully chose a video with a blond woman, but he couldn't help wonder if Merlin was picturing Freya as they watched she suck the guy off. From the corner of his eye, Arthur could see the growing bulge on Merlin's groin. Arthur tried to concentrate more on the video, but his mind kept replaying the way Merlin had been flirting with the girl earlier.

The video was still going hard when Merlin started to fidget. Arthur saw him taking his hand towards his pants just to stop himself midway and press his hands on the armrests of his chair, or rub his palms on his thighs.

“Anything wrong, Merlin?” Arthur asked after Merlin crossed and uncrossed his legs for the third time.

“No, nothing's wrong,” Merlin said and managed to be still for the next minute just to start over.

“Um,” Merlin said after a while, looking over his shoulder to the bathroom door. “I think I'll-”

The possibility of Merlin running away annoyed Arthur all the more. “For God's sake, Merlin,” he snapped, “just stick your hand in your pants and do it already. There's fifteen minutes to go yet.”

Merlin’s eyebrows vanished below his fringe. “What? N-no!”

Arthur acted out of pure impulse. “Here,” he said, unzipping his own pants and shoving his hand inside, taking hold of his own half-hard cock. He was careful not to bring it out, though, thinking Merlin might be scandalized if he did.  “You won’t be the only one. Now shut up and watch it.”

Merlin's eyes immediately followed Arthur's movement and he let out a choked sound as he looked away. Arthur didn't have to look at him to know just how embarrassed he was.

On the screen, the guy had just finished rimming the girl and repositioned her so that the camera had a better angle as he pushed his fat cock up her ass. Arthur's cock filled up all the way in seconds. Merlin cursed at his side and finally unzipped his own jeans.

Arthur waited a few more minutes before sneaking a peek at his companion. When he noticed Merlin had his eyes closed and his lower lip trapped between his teeth, Arthur straight out stared. Merlin’s shirt had caught up, leaving out his navel. His hand was moving steady and strong as he jerked himself off, his open jeans preventing Arthur to see any further bare skin. Arthur could almost see the images forming inside Merlin’s mind, where he was surely fucking Freya’s ass - or was it Morgana’s?

Arthur grunted as he looked away, determined to shake his mind of all that. He concentrated on the video and on the feeling of his own hand, trying not to notice the way Merlin seemed to be enjoying it right there, at his side - and failing.

“Shit,” Merlin gasped and Arthur looked in time to see him coming, his legs spasming with every spurt of semen coming out and running down Merlin’s belly.

Arthur’s orgasm took him by surprise and he closed his eyes, allowing his head to fall back until it hit the backrest of his chair as his body pulsed in pleasure. When he came down of it, he wiped his hand on his trouser and looked up to find Merlin’s half lidded eyes on him, his jaw slacked.

Merlin startled and straightened up, closing his mouth and clearing his throat as he looked down, self consciously. His hand was still dirty as he fixed his clothes back in place.

Arthur grabbed a used shirt from the desk and threw it to him. “Here. You can drop it in the laundry basket later.”

“Thanks,” Merlin said, keeping his eyes down, his cheeks still slightly red.

Arthur tucked himself back in and paused the video, where the guy was only now preparing to jerk over the girl’s face. Arthur was fighting a blush himself, although he was determined not to let Merlin notice his own embarrassment. He had no idea what had gotten him to do that, but it was no big deal, was it? He was used to see his male friends naked all the time in the locker room, only Merlin was never one of them, what with not being into sports. Alright, perhaps it wasn’t the same thing, but guys masturbated all the time, why couldn’t they do it together? Besides, they were mates. Actually, they were something close to best mates, of late.

It was definitely no big deal.

.Merlin.

It happened again a couple of times after that, but it was never as awkward during as it was after. Merlin, always prone to babbling, was quiet and frowning once they were finished. At times, Arthur wished he could know what was going on inside his head, more so when Merlin seemed to zone out right before coming, his eyes closed and his lips parted in pleasure. It was something mesmerising to watch, although Arthur made sure of never getting caught.

They didn't just wank, when they got together. They also studied and played and talked a lot about everything. Arthur hadn't been too worried about his grades since he realized his father would never be pleased with his performance, no matter how hard he tried. He had convinced himself he could get a sports scholarship if everything else failed, and it would be way better than the boring political course his father had planned for him. Since he started to study with Merlin, thought, his grades had improved, the teachers started to look at him differently and challenged him to keep up and, especially, he started to realize he could be anything he wanted to be.

He had never thought about what he wanted to do for college or after that, but Merlin wouldn't stop asking and provoking him and encouraging him to reflect and try to figure out what he would like to do with his life, despite his father's suffocating plans.

“What about being an astronaut?” Merlin asked. They were sprawled on opposite sides of the living room sofa and Merlin had his nose buried on the occupational guide they had received in vocational orientation.

Arthur answered the questions with a snort, lazily throwing some popcorn into his mouth while keeping his eyes on the telly, although he wasn’t paying that much attention to it.

Merlin shrugged. “I think it would be so cool, although I don't really fancy the recycling-your-own-urine part.”

Arthur guimanced. “You think they really do that?”

Merlin scowled as well. “I don't know, man, but I'm not sure I’d like to find out either. How about lawyer?”

“Nah. Too much reading.”

Merlin lowered the guide to throw him a disbelieving stare. “You realize you’ll have to study a lot to be anything you'd choose, right?”

Arthur shrugged. “Not if I'm to become a football player.”

Merlin snorted. “It's not that easy to become a professional player, you know?”

“Coach says I'm pretty talented and he might be able to pull some strings, if I'm interested.”

“And are you interested? I mean, really? Because if you realize later that this is not what you want, it might be too late! I still think you should focus on getting good grades, just in case. Besides, there's always the chance the coach is not as influential as he says. Or, more likely, that you're not as talented as he says you are. I mean, I wouldn't bet a horse on you.”

Arthur threw a popcorn at him. “Your loss.”

“Come on, you must have something else in mind by now,” Merlin said, closing the guide and picking up the popcorn from where it had landed on his belly, bringing it to his mouth.

Arthur sighed. “Actually, I was thinking about engineering.”

Merlin seemed surprised. “Really? That’s brilliant!”

Arthur had to suppress a smug smile at that. “How about you?” He asked. “Have you decided what you’re going to do?”

“Oh, I don’t know…” Merlin averted his eyes, looking uncertain all of a sudden. “I always thought I would become a teacher, but… I don’t know.”

“Such a nerd,” Arthur snorted playfully, earning a glare from Merlin. He realized Merlin still avoided looking at him and wondered if he had ever voiced that to anyone else. Arthur elbowed his leg. “You know what, I think you’d be a great teacher.”

Merlin’s eyes snapped up, searching his face. “You do?”

Arthur shrugged as if it weren’t a big deal. “Yeah, well, you might not be very bright, but you make it up with enthusiasm, so you might be a good influence on the poor sods.”

“Hey!” Merlin said, kicking him in the ribs. “What would you know, muscle head?”

Arthur grabbed a handful of popcorn and threw it at him. “What did you just call me?”

The argument ended with popcorn everywhere and they left it for George to clean up as they strode upstairs to play some video games.

.Merlin.

“What’s up, Princess?” Gwaine asked as he joined Arthur in the locker room to change for practice. “We missed you at Albin’s yesterday. What happened?”

“Had a test and a paper due today,” Arthur said as he put the team jersey on before sitting down to put on his shoes.

“Why, is Merlin's nerdiness rubbing off on you?” Gwaine said with mocked concern. “I knew he wasn't a good influence on you.”

“Who?” Asked Percy, throwing his backpack on one of the benches.

“Merlin, of course!” Gwaine explained. “He’s leading our Princess astray!”

Percy tut-tutted in fake disapproval. “Shame on him.”

Arthur rolled his eyes. Before he could say anything, thought, the door to the locker room opened again and the rest of the guys came in noisily.

“-and you call that booze?” Valiant was saying.

“Oh, fuck off,” Albin said, although he didn't seem that bothered.

“I’ll show you what the good stuff is,” Valiant said. “In fact, I’ll show all of you. My cousin's throwing a party this weekend and he told me to invite as much ladies as I wish, so I'm inviting all of you sissies.”

There was a chorus of grunts and mumbles, but they were all too used to Valiant by now to raise to the bait.

“You know what? I’m in,” Gwaine said, tossing his hair to the side.

“He said the magic word,” Leon whispered teasingly as he sat beside Arthur.

Arthur chuckled, but stiffened when he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder.

“You’re welcome to join in as well, Pendragon,” Valiant said with his perpetual unpleasant smile. “That is, unless you think you're too good to party with us anymore.” He sat down at Arthur’s other side to put on his shoes as well.

“Now that Val mentioned it, I haven’t seen you hanging around with us in a while,” Albin said, frowning at Arthur. “What’s going on? Is there a new girl we don’t know about?”

“Yeah,” Valiant said, eyeing him suspiciously. “Are you deliberately keeping her from us? Or is she keeping you on a leash?”

The others burst into laughter at that and Arthur ignored Leon’s curious look as he scowled. “There’s no new girl. I just happen to be taking my studies more seriously, as you guys should do as well.”

“Ohhhh, you really think you’re better than us, then,” Valiant said, shoving at him as he stood up.

“Do not,” Arthur insisted, shoving back at him.

“You should come to this party with us, if that’s the case,” Albin said. “You sound like someone in serious need to get laid.”

Arthur ignored the laughter that followed, sending Leon a questioning look.

Leon shrugged. “I’m in if you are.”

Arthur sighed. “Alright, fine, I’ll come. But I’ll take Merlin with me.”

Valiant and Albin exchanged a stunned look. “Emrys?” asked the latter.

“Great, more sissies,” Valiant said sarcastically.

Albin snorted. “As your _date_?”

Arthur threw his wet towel at him. “We’ll bring our own dates, asshole.”

“Alright, fine, whatever.” Valiant said, getting up. “Bring your pet if you like. Just make sure he doesn't call the cops or something even stupider.”

.oOo.

“I’m going with Elena,” Arthur said when Merlin asked who he was going to invite to the party.

Merlin stared blankly at him for a second. “You mean soon-to-be-graduated Elena?”

“Yep,” Arthur didn't even try not to look smug, sprawled out on the couch while Merlin gaped at him.

“Like, _Gwaine’s-ex-girlfriend_ Elena?”

“Exactly. The same one Gwaine said to be very adventurous in bed.”

“And then I cuffed him in the back of the head for being disgustingly offensive.”

“Oh, come on,” Arthur defended himself. “I'm not saying she's a slut or something. It's just that she knows what she likes. What's wrong with a girl liking to have sex?”

“It's wrong that she's defined by it by guys like you and Gwaine.”

Arthur shrugged. “She's nice too. And funny.”

Merlin let his head fall back in defeat.

“Besides, she already said yes,” Arthur continued. “So the question is who are _you_ taking to the party.”

“I'm not sure if I'm going.”

“What?” Arthur sat up. “Of course you're going! Everybody’s going!”

“My mom is never going to let me,” Merlin said, averting his eyes.

“Tell her you’ll be crashing at mine. She never minds when you’re with me, anyway.”

Merlin whined. “Arthur, I don’t think-”

“Shush, you’re coming, end of discussion. And if you don't find a date soon, I’ll find one for you.”

.Merlin.

Fortunately, Merlin found himself a date. Unfortunately, it was Freya.

“Seriously?” Arthur asked when Freya and Elena left them to say hello to some of their friends.

Merlin sniffed the content of the cup they had been offered and grimaced, putting it back down. “My first choice was Gwen, but she was already coming with Lance.”

Arthur huffed in exasperation. “Are you even _trying_ to get laid?”

Merlin offered him a disapproving stare. “I didn't even want to be here, remember?”

“Yeah, but since you are you should at least try to have a good time. And Sister Freya there doesn't look too eager to get down on her knees for you or-”

“Shut _up_ ,” Merlin said between gritted teeth and forced a smile when the girls came back.

“Oh, I know you’d like that,” Arthur said in a provocative tone, earning a warning stare.

“What would he like?” Elena asked, curious.

“To dance!” Merlin said before Arthur could open his mouth. “What do you say, Freya?”

Freya smiled timidly. “Yeah, sure.”

“Aw, aren't they cute?” Elena said as they watched them walking to the dance floor holding hands.

Arthur scowled. “If you think causing second hand embarrassment is cute, then sure.”

Elena nudged him, good humored. “Oh, come on, we should dance as well!”

Arthur finished his beer and followed her, sparing a few seconds to admire her swinging hips. He really tried to have a good time, but it was proving very difficult to keep an eye on Merlin in the midst of the crowded dance floor. Every time he lost sight of the boy for a few minutes, he wondered if he might have been wrong and Freya had led him upstairs after all. It turned out he didn’t have to worry, though, for Freya seemed really into the dance, and not in a sexy way. She actually matched Merlin’s stiffness, as if they were following an entirely different tune than the rest of them.

Well, not that Arthur’s date was that much gracious.

“Is there something wrong, Arthur?” Elena asked him at some point, precarily balancing her cup while swinging to the beat. Arthur could never figure out how she managed to get fresh drinks without leaving the dance floor, but he had counted three different types of drinks already, and it wasn’t like he was really paying that much attention to her, if he cared to be honest.

“Hm?” Arthur asked distractedly. “Nothing’s wrong. Why the question?”

Elena shrugged. “You look like you sucked a lemon dry, that’s all.”

“I do not!” Arthur said indignantly.

Elena laughed. “There! You should see your lemon face right now.”

Arthur was about to turn his back on her and move to the bar, but she moved right into his personal space and put her arms around him. Arthur had to be very still in order to avoid her drink from spilling all over the back of his shirt. “Elena...”

“Shh!” Elena shushed him, smiling. “I think I know what might cheer you up a bit.”

She kissed him then. She tasted of gin and tonic and for someone so awfully uncoordinated, she was surprisingly good with her tongue. Arthur could almost forgive her for stepping on his foot with her stiletto heels.

Of course the thought was totally washed away from his mind when someone bumped on them, making Elena’s drink spill all over him. “Oh, bugger!” Arthur said, peeling the soaked and cold fabric from his skin.

“I’m so sorry,” Elena said, half worried and half amused. “Here, let me help you with that.”

She took him by the hand and pulled him towards the stairs. Arthur was too annoyed to resist, so he followed her, looking over his shoulder to see if Merlin had seen any of that. What he saw made Arthur’s mood darken even more. Freya was holding Merlin’s face close as she snogged him right there, on the dance floor. Arthur was about to pull his hand free and lash out on Elena when she stopped on the top of the stairwell to take off his shirt.

“Poor thing will probably catch a cold,” she said, then giggled, sliding her hand on his pectorals. “Oh my, you’re soooo hot.”

Arthur frowned, wondering if she had always sounded that slurred. “Elena,” he tried again, but she smashed her index finger on Arthur’s lips.

“Shhh! Come with me, sweetie. I’ll show you a good time.” She grabbed him by the wrist again and moved towards the corridor.

Arthur picked up his shirt when she let it slip on the floor. “Elena, how many drinks did you have?”

She made a dismissal gesture, trying every door to see if it was unlocked. “Who cares?”

“Well, as a matter of fact, I do,” Arthur said, trying to make her to stop gently. “Look, perhaps it’s best if I call you a taxi.”

“No, why would you do that! It’s not even past eleven in the evening! Come on, let’s get us a room. Ah-ha! Here we go!” She stumbled inside an empty room and tripped over the rug. Her hand slipped from Arthur’s when he tried to grab her and she fell on her fours, laughing. “Geez, that was close. I almost fell on my face!” She stopped laughing then. “Oh, no, this isn’t gonna be pretty.”

And then she went sick all over the floor and passed out soon after rolling to the side.

.oOo.

Arthur had a moral debate with himself. His first thought was to flee and leave Elena there for someone else to find, but he soon found out he could never live with himself if he did that to her - or anyone, for the matter. The only problem was he had no idea what to do.

Then it came to him: he had to find Merlin! Merlin would know exactly what to do.

Arthur closed the door over Elena’s limp form on the floor and ran down the stairs to look for Merlin. He cursed when he found out Merlin wasn’t on the dance floor and cursed again when Merlin didn’t pick up his phone. He excused his way between people dancing and drinking and laughing as if nothing could ever happen to them, as if nothing could ruin their night, spoil their fun.

“Sorry,” Arthur said when he bumped on someone and he was about to move on with his search when he noticed who it was. “Lance?” he said, surprised.

“Oh, hey, Arthur!” Lancelot, one of his teammates, offered his hand to be shaken. “Fancy seeing you here.”

Arthur noticed the person his friend was talking to, offering her a nod. “Hi, Guinevere.”

“Hello,” Guinevere said sheepishly, her cheeks a little rosy.

“Um, have you guys seen Merlin?” Arthur asked, wondering if there was some flirting going on between the two of them.

Lancelot frowned. “I saw him on the dance floor about half an hour ago, but haven’t seen him since.”

Arthur looked at Guinevere expectantly.

“I’m sorry,” she shook her head, but then she seemed to notice something on his face. “Is everything alright?”

Arthur’s first impulse was to say everything was fine, but then his shoulders sagged and he shook his head. “I’m sorry to bother you guys, but I can’t seem to find Merlin and I could really use some help.”

Guinevere and Lancelot exchanged a look before nodding to him.

“How can we help?” Guinevere asked.

Arthur felt a surge of gratitude towards both of them. He asked them to follow him upstairs and explained what happened on the way. Elena was still unconscious on the floor when they reached the bedroom and the smell made Arthur gag, but Guinevere didn’t hesitate for a second. She started to give orders, asking the boys to help her put Elena on the bed.

Together, Lancelot and Arthur managed to carry her to the bed while Guinevere grabbed a wet towel from the ensuite bathroom, but Arthur had to cover his mouth with his hand when the smell made him gag again.

Guinevere sent him a crossed look. “You should probably leave before I have to clean up after you as well.”

“But-” Arthur started to protest, but Lancelot put a hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t worry, we’ve got this. We’ll make sure she’s home safely.”

Arthur looked from one to the other before shaking his head, making sure not to breath in too deep. “Alright.” He reached for his wallet. “Here’s for the cab. Thank you so much. I owe you guys.”

As soon as he left the room, Arthur leaned on the wall and took a couple of deep breaths. He felt his phone buzzing with an income call and picked it up.

“Where _are_ you?” he asked angrily.

“ _I’m sorry, Arthur, I’m leaving_ ,” Merlin said on the other hand.

“With Freya?” Arthur felt a pang of resentment at the thought.

“ _No, she left as well. Her father was furious-_ ”

“Have you left yet?” Arthur interrupted him.

Merlin hesitated for moment. “ _No, I'm just outside_.”

“Don't move. I'll meet you there.” Arthur hang up and hurried out, not bothering to say goodbye to anyone.

He found Merlin sitting on the curb right in front of the garage. The night was a bit chilly after the stale air from inside the crowded house. Arthur thrust his hands in his jeans pockets and sat beside him.

“Where's Elena?” Merlin asked after looking around.

Arthur puffed, averting his eyes. “She's staying.”

“What happened?”

“Let's just… not talk about it, can we?”

Merlin shrugged, looking up at the clouded sky.

“So…” Arthur said, making conversation. “Freya's father didn't know she was coming?”

Merlin sighed. “She didn't tell him she was coming to a party. She said she was going to a friend's house, but it seems they use one of those tracking apps, so he followed her and saw a few guys drinking and smoking outside. He got inside and dragged her out.”

“Really?” Arthur asked, disbelieving. “Man, that sucks.”

“Yeah, it was awful. He said terrible things to her and when I tried to explain, he shouted at me and told me to never talk to Freya again.”

“What a dick!” Arthur said angrily. “You should have called me, I would've showed him not to mess with my friends.”

Merlin eyed him weirdly before shaking his head. “I appreciate the offer, but I don't think it would have helped Freya at all.” He hugged his legs, bringing them closer to his chest. “Dung. I feel horrible.”

Arthur shook his head. Only Merlin would say “dung” at this. He started to smile and it soon became a laugh.

“What?” Merlin asked, confused.

“Look at us!” Arthur said, gesturing between the both of them. “We’re pathetic! We both managed to ruin our dates and whatever chance we had to get laid tonight.”

Merlin huffed. “Speak for yourself. I don't think I had any chance, even before her father showed up.”

“The hell are you talking about? She was totally into you! I saw you sucking face, by the way.”

“What, no!” Merlin said. “It was just a kiss! A very chaste one, by the way. There was absolutely no ‘sucking face’. I think she did it out of pity, actually. And she’s definitely not talking to me after what just happened. _Elena_ , on the other hand, was totally into _you_. I mean, she was looking at you as if she would blow you right there, on the dance floor. Hey, you never told me what happened.”

Arthur scowled. “I said I don't want to talk about it.”

Merlin frowned at him, but chose not to press any further on the matter. He got on his feet “Alright, I'm leaving, but you don't have to. Maybe there's still time for you to find some willing company.”

Arthur assessed his friend carefully as he stood up as well. “What did you tell your mother?”

Merlin looked down, ashamed. “I told her I was going to hang out with you and that I might stay over.”

“Then it’s settled. We’re going to mine.”

“But your father-”

“He won't even notice you're there. Come on.”

Merlin sighed, but accepted Arthur’s outstretched hand to get up.

.oOo.

When Arthur suggested they watched something before going to bed, Merlin claimed he wasn't in the mood and got on his makeshift bed to prove his point.

“Your loss,” Arthur said and proceeded to search for a video on his laptop, sitting on his bed, his back pillowed against the headboard.

He didn't care to turn down the volume when he pressed play and very unceremoniously slipped his hand down his boxers to touch himself while watching. He heard Merlin's frustrated grunt before the boy threw his pillow over his head in the vain attempt not to hear. Arthur smirked, keeping his eyes on the screen.

The girl was a nicely curvy brunette and she made a show of blowing the guy, then laid on her stomach to let the guy eat her ass, while thrusting his fingers in her vagina.

Arthur noticed movement from the corner of his eyes and looked up, catching Merlin's eyes on him. He struggled to keep a straight face as he looked down on the laptop screen again.

“She's really hot,” Arthur said. “Specially from this point of view.”

“I'm fine here, thanks,” Merlin said, turning his back on him.

Arthur's smirk intensified. “You know it's going to be painful to just ignore it.”

“It's not- I'm not- Argh!” Merlin threw his pillow on Arthur. “I hate you.”

Arthur laughed and placed the thrown pillow by his side, tapping it invitingly. “Whenever you're ready to admit defeat, Merlin.”

“You're insufferable,” Merlin said as he took off his pajama top and climbed up the bed to join him. They had taken the habit of taking off their tops while wanking, to minimise the mess.

“And you love it, judging by the bulge on your pants.”

“Shut up and mind yours!”

“I certainly am!” Arthur said and pulled his boxers down to better take care of himself, then grabbed some of the lubricant he had on his nightstand.

They also had come a long way on keeping it inside their pants. There was no point in worrying about decency after all that they had shared in the privacy of Arthur’s room. Merlin grunted, but accepted the lubricant when Arthur offered and pushed his own pants down as well.

On the video, the man was alternating between licking the woman's asshole and fingering it, stretching her. Arthur's eyes were glued on the screen, but he kept aware of Merlin's every move in his peripheral vision, noticing the way Merlin kept a slow and steady pace, sometimes squeezing the base of his cock to take the edge off.

“You know what would feel really good?” Arthur asked, keeping his eyes straight ahead.

“Hm?” Merlin asked.

“The feel of another hand on myself.”

“What?” Merlin sounded distracted for a moment. “Oh, right, yeah,” he amended after clearing his throat.

Arthur turned slowly at him, then looked down on Merlin's hand, still working lazily on his cock, and up again, finding Merlin's inquisitive look.

“What?” Merlin asked, then opened his eyes wider after Arthur's raised eyebrow. He freezed. “ _What_?”

“What?” Arthur asked back with fake innocence.

“I thought you were suggesting…” Merlin averted his eyes, then blushed. “Never mind.”

“Well, what if you thought right?” Arthur said, sending another significant look at Merlin's hand, now trying to cover himself.

Merlin reached for the laptop and closed the lid, putting a stop to the woman's filthy moaning. “Arthur, are you insane?” Merlin hissed, looking at the door, as if someone could burst in any moment.

“I'm not insane, I'm just horny. And practical,” Arthur said, trying not to give out his own nervousness. “It's not a big deal. It's just a handjob. I’m sure you can manage that.”

Merlin gaped at him for a moment before narrowing his eyes at him. “And why would I do that?”

“Because I’m asking?” Arthur pouted.

“Knock it off,” Merlin said annoyedly and reached to open the laptop. “I’m not that easy to-”

Arthur put his hand over the laptop, stopping him. “No, wait, listen. I’m serious. I mean, why not?”

“Because!” Merlin argued. “Why would I? It’s not like I’d be getting anything from it!” He looked away, thoroughly vexed now.

“Alright, fine,” Arthur gave him an eye roll. “I’ll return the favor. Honestly...” He shook his head.

“No, Arthur, it’s not about that!” Merlin sounded a bit exasperated. “Are you listening to what you’re suggesting?”

“What? Like I said, it’s not a big deal!” It was Arthur’s turn to be irritated now. “It’s just… mutual masturbation, if you must put a name on it, but in the end it's the same thing we've been doing for weeks, only better. For both of us.”

Merlin was shaking his head. “It might not be a big deal for you, but I've never- I've never-”

Arthur sighed. “Alright, we've already established you're a virgin, but do you want to die one? Because the way I see it, you'll never get laid if you don't stop being so touchy about this. But it's okay, I won't offer again.”

Arthur angrily opened the laptop again and pressed play, picking up from where he had left. His erection had sagged a bit after their argument, but he would be damned if he let this get to him. It wasn't as if he had been turned down, after all. Not if it wasn't even an actual proposal. Right?

Merlin sighed and reached out to pause the video again. “Listen, I'm sorry, you just caught me off guard. Maybe… maybe we could give it a try.”

Arthur turned to examine Merlin's face. The boy had some trouble keeping his eyes fixed on Arthur, but he didn't seem ready to back out.

“Are you sure?” Arthur asked just to be on the safe side.

Merlin hesitated, but nodded.

Arthur nodded back, his heart racing again with excitement. Was this really happening? Maybe he was insane indeed, like Merlin suggested, but he trusted Merlin. It wasn't as if he was one to tell on anyone, let alone on one of his closest friends at the moment. Especially when he would go down as well if anyone heard of what they were about to do.

Arthur glanced down on Merlin's also sagging erection, lying over his stomach. Their eyes met for a brief moment and they both turned away in unison.

“You’ll go first,” Arthur said watching the video, where the guy was preparing to push his fat cock into the girl's seemingly tight asshole.

Merlin sighed. “Okay.”

Arthur pressed play and was about to get comfortable again when something crossed his mind. “You're right handed, right?”

Merlin frowned. “Yeah, why- Oh,” his eyebrows shot up as he looked at their current position.

“We should probably switch places,” Arthur offered.

“Right! I'm just gonna-”

After some awkward moving around each other, they managed to find a better position. Arthur offered Merlin the tube of lube, then poked the pillow behind his back before settling down and keeping his eyes on the screen.

“Um… Can I?” Merlin asked tentatively.

“Yeah, sure, go ahead,” Arthur said.

God, this was awkward. Arthur was determined not to back down now, though. It had been his idea, after all.

“Excuse me,” Merlin said as he tentatively reached for Arthur's cock.

His fingers were cold and sleeked and Merlin sounded slightly out of breath, but Arthur wasn't on a position to make fun of him, from where he stood, with Merlin’s hand firmly wrapped around his cock.

“Is it, hum, is it alright?” Merlin asked under his breath. The woman in the screen chose that exact moment to let out a long moan and Arthur cursed inwardly, his cock twitching.

“Yes, it's fine.” He forced the words out as smoothly as he could. “Just… you know, move.”

Merlin's hand on him felt good, but he lacked a bit in confidence. Arthur instructed him to grip more tightly and avoided looking at Merlin, trying to focus on the video again. The man on the screen was pushing his cock really hard into the woman's ass, making her whimper, and Arthur told Merlin to pick up the pace.

Merlin shifted the angle and then… “Yes,” Arthur approved, closing his eyes for a moment just to enjoy the feel of Merlin’s lean hand on his sensitive skin. It was a very girly hand, if he stopped to think about it. He could easily picture any of his girlfriends doing that. Every time Merlin brushed the head of Arthur’s cock, he felt closer to the edge.

Arthur opened his eyes, staring down at his own lap and suddenly the view of a foreign hand working on him was all the incentive he needed for his orgasm to hit him hard and overwhelming.

“Fuck,” Arthur cursed when he came, his eyes round at the intensity of his release.

He sagged against the headboard, still enjoying the high and trying not to overthink things. He felt Merlin’s hand leaving him, although he could still hear the slap of sleek skin of his movements echoing in his ears.

Or was it really echoing?

Arthur looked to the side just in time to see Merlin coming after taking matters at hand, quite literally.

“Jesus,” Merlin said, slumping at his side, eyes closed and forehead wrinkled.

Arthur looked down on his still twitching cock and chuckled. “Boy, was someone eager to finish,” he teased, before it could become too awkward. He was determined not to allow himself to regret this.

Merlin covered himself with one hand while pessing his other fist over his eyeball. “Don’t worry, Arthur, you’ll get to begin next time.”

“Next- Whoa!” Arthur marvelled, smirking as he slapped Merlin's thigh, making him jump up. “You nearly had me a few minutes ago, saying I was insane to even suggest this. In fact, I’m starting to think you were _eager_ to get your hands on me.”

Merlin snorted. “You wish,” he said, pulling his pajama pants up as he got out of the bed and into the bathroom.

.oOo.

The next time happened just the next day. To Arthur’s astonishment, it was Merlin who proposed they watched some porn before he had to leave, and even though Arthur knew he probably was doing it just so that Arthur could play his part on their arrangement, he couldn’t help but feel equally nervous _and_ excited by the prospect. Not that he was eager to touch Merlin’s cock, but if that was the price he had to pay for Merlin to jack him off again, he thought perhaps it would be worth it.

Besides, it felt good to know that he wasn't the only one looking forward to do it again.

Never mind all that, he still felt a little anxious about the whole thing. Arthur chose a video where the guy had the girl handcuffed to the bed and gagged. The video started with the man going down on her while she moaned and thrashed as much as the restraints allowed her to.

Arthur unhurriedly stripped his T-shirt, rearranged the pillows at his back so as to be more comfortable and took his time grabbing the lube. He was about to hand it to Merlin when he noticed the boy had already pushed down his jeans and briefs, shamelessly exposing his half-hard cock. “What the-” he started to ask, but Merlin didn’t let him.

“It’s your turn, remember?”

“Yeah, but,” Arthur squirmed nervously. “The video barely started! How can you be in the mood already?”

Merlin sighed. “Arthur, if you’re trying to back off now, I swear-”

“I’m not!” Arthur defended himself. “I’m just saying that-”

“Then stop making excuses and do it already,” Merlin rushed.

“Alright, Jesus. No need to get all worked up,” Arthur said sorely. He glanced at the laptop screen as he put some lube on his hand. The man was now stroking himself as he sucked the girl’s nipple, making her gasp and arch her back, moving towards his mouth.

Merlin seemed to be absorbed by the video as well when Arthur glanced his way. Arthur looked down on him then, only enough to wrap his fingers on Merlin's now totally hard cock - Merlin took a sharp intake of breath at that, his cock twitching -, then got settled again, looking ahead. He was half hard himself, but that was probably because of the girl’s sexy muffled moans.

Well, this wasn’t too different from jerking himself off, if he put aside the clumsy angle and the unfamiliar shape of Merlin’s shaft. And it probably wouldn’t take long, judging by the way Merlin was reacting. Arthur tried to keep his focus on the movie as he increased the pace, but he couldn’t help noticing the way Merlin’s stomach quivered and his breathing fastened. On the screen, the guy was holding the girl’s open legs up and fucking her pussy hard and steady, shaking her entire body with the force of every stroke while saying filthy things to her in his deep voice. Arthur glanced from the corner of his eyes and found Merlin looking down on Arthur’s hand instead, as if mesmerized.

Arthur looked ahead again, pretending not to have noticed. He was starting to get uncomfortable inside his own pants.

“Shit,” he heard Merlin curse under his breath. “This feels good.”

Arthur turned to the side ready to make a teasing remark, but stopped himself short from it after finding Merlin's eyes shut, his chest heaving, his temples shining with fresh sweat.

Arthur pressed his lips together, his amusement turning into determination. He sped up the pace, set on finishing it fast, so that he could get his turn sonner. The look of complete absorption on Merlin’s face was mesmerising, so much that Arthur entirely forgot about the video.

Merlin was impossibility hard now, his breathing shallow, his left hand gripping the sheets with such strength his knuckles turned white. His body was moving slightly forward, as if ready to chase Arthur's hand if he tried to back off. The redness was spreading from his cheeks to his neck, while his cock was an angry and shiny red. He was close, Arthur could tell. It only took him a couple more firm tugs and Merlin shouted, throwing his head back, his cock spurting.

Arthur nearly jumped at the unexpected sound followed by the jet of hot liquid over his hand. He realised his heart was racing and his hand trembled when he let go of Merlin.

That was… intense. Arthur hastily moved to wipe his hand on his discarded shirt, taking the time to take a couple of deep breaths and calm himself down. He handed the shirt to Merlin next.

“Thanks,” Merlin said, still a bit out of breath. “Just… give me a moment,” he said as he fixed himself clean.

Arthur had gotten himself in check again, enough to feel safe to open his own jeans and pull it down without fearing he might come just from the brushing of the cloth. He was still very hard, though, and the girl’s muffled cries were still going strong after the man had flipped her around to fuck her from behind.

Arthur concentrated on her for a moment, taking in the red marks left on her arse cheek by the man’s hands as he maneuvered her. “ _You like this, don’t you?_ ” the man asked her, slapping her butt and smirking at her eager nodd.

“Do you want me to… Um,” Arthur heard Merlin’s tentative voice at his side and answered by handing him the lube and leaning further back to ease his access, keeping his eyes glued on the screen.

He caught Merlin’s movement as he shifted to the side to better reach his cock. Arthur managed not to startle when Merlin finally touched his prick, but he had to bite his lip not to swear when Merlin’s thumb brushed it’s sensitive head. Boy, he was close.

“Faster,” Arthur told Merlin, too far gone to care if it was too soon.

Even though his eyes were still open, he wasn’t really watching now. All he could concentrate was the feel of skin on skin. No wanking could ever compare to this.

Merlin must have sensed that he was close, for he increased the pace some more and it wasn't long before Arthur came, grunting.

Merlin let go of him and Arthur sighed, sagging against the headboard as his heartbeat slowed down. When he closed his eyes he could still remember Merlin’s elated face when he came, so he opened them again, quickly.

“I should probably get going,” Merlin said after handing the shirt back to Arthur.

“Okay,” Arthur said, suddenly self-conscious. He used the excuse of cleaning up to cover himself.

“See you on Monday?” Merlin asked, sounding a bit uncertain himself.

“Yeah, sure,” Arthur assured.

He breathed out in relief when Merlin finally left. Only to tense up again when he heard two knocks on the door.

“Did you forget your socks again?” Arthur asked when the door opened, but cursed at seeing his sister standing at the threshold.

He sat up in a hurry, pulling a pillow to his lap and closing the lid of his laptop in a swift move. Fortunately the video had already finished by now and she couldn’t have possibly noticed that his pants were around his thighs, from where she was standing.

“What are you doing here?” Arthur asked in annoyance.

Morgana shrugged. “Just checking up on my little brother.”

“Yeah, right,” Arthur scoffed. “What do you want?”

Morgana stepped inside, even though not invited. “I just heard you left the party early yesterday, and then I saw Merlin leaving now.” She looked around, her yes going from the mess of sheets on Arthur’s bed to the mattress on the floor. “Did he spend the night?”

Of course, she was friends with Guinevere. She probably new everything about what happened with Elena by now and was dying to make fun of him.

“And why do you care?” Arthur said, rearranging the pillow in his lap while she was distracted, so that she wouldn’t have any glimpse of bare skin.

“He’s been spending a lot of time here with you,” she said pensievely.

“So?” Arthur tryed to sound as indifferent as possible. “We’re friends! Besides, he’s been helping me with studying.”

“Yeah, so he told me,” she waved his reply away. “And don’t get me wrong, I think he’s a great influence on you. Way better than most of your muscle-head friends. I’m just wondering why you two spend so much time locked up in your room, just the two of you...” She poked something on the floor with the tip of her shoe, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

With a surge of horror, Arthur realised it was the same shirt he and Merlin had cleaned themselves in. It had probably slipped to the floor in his haste to cover himself.

“There’s- There’s nothing wrong with that! You know our father doesn’t approve of me hanging out with him,” Arthur amended quickly. “Besides, it’s still none of your business. Why don’t you go sniff around one of your girlfriends and leave me alone?”

“Right,” Morgana raised her eyebrow at him. She smirked, then. “I’ll leave you and your _boyfriend_ alone. For now.”

She left before Arthur could react to that.

.Merlin.

At this point, Arthur had learned two things. First, that no matter how awkward things had turned out after their porn sessions, it was easy to pretend nothing out of ordinary had happened the next time they met. Second, that whenever they crossed a line, there was no turning back. All Arthur could think about now was when the next time would be and how to make it happen.

And that was the reason Arthur had thrown out his History notes that Wednesday morning, just so that he could ask Merlin to come by after school and help him study for the upcoming test.

“I talked to Gwen yesterday,” Merlin said when they were sprawled out on Arthur’s bed after finishing going over the first two chapters from the textbook. “It was really nice what you did.”

“Huh?” Arthur asked distractedly.

Merlin turned to look at him. “Gwen told me what happened with Elena at the party.”

“Oh,” Arthur frowned, not sure of how to react.

“She said she had to shoo you, because you were all worried and tense and wasn’t of much help, but you made sure Elena was okay before leaving.”

Arthur shrugged as if it were nothing. “I did what anyone would have done in my place.”

Merlin sighed. “Sadly, we both know that’s not the case. Someone else might have just left her there for others to deal with the mess or, worse even, they could have taken advantage of her.”

Arthur frowned. “I would never,” he assured, although he had been seriously tempted to do the former.

“I know,” Merlin smiled at him and something in that smile made Arthur look away, clearing his throat.

“And how are things with Freya, by the way?” Arthur asked in a conversational tone.

Merlin sighed. “I told you, her father forbid her to ever talk to me again.”

“Yeah, but her father doesn’t need to know.”

Merlin shook his head. “I don’t think she’ll disobey him. You didn’t see the look on her face when her father showed up at the party.”

Arthur rolled his eyes. “Whatever,” he said.

He should probably encourage Merlin to be daring and ask Freya out again. The girl was probably too embarrassed to make a move now. Arthur had seen the way she had kissed Merlin the other night and he doubted she would turn him down just because her father said so. Yet, deep down, he was actually relieved. If things had worked out for the two of them, Merlin would most likely put a stop to their mutual pleasuring and perhaps even stop hanging out with him altogether.

Arthur didn’t want that to happen.

“Well, as much fun as I’ve had with these two chapters, I could really use a break now,” Arthur said, closing the book and reaching for his laptop. “How about some entertainment?”

Merlin rolled his eyes and let his head fall back with a grunt, but he mustn’t have been all that contrary to the thought, since he joined Arthur soon enough to help him pick the video. He also complained when Arthur told him to get his hands dirty first, but he ended up complying after Arthur assured him he’d make up for his trouble.

“That is, if you last enough for that,” Arthur completed, earning a pillow to the head.

.Merlin.

They stumbled on that video completely by accident. Arthur had seen the tag ‘double-penetration’ right next to ‘anal’ and went for it, thinking it might feature some sex toy. As it turned out, it was a threesome, and although Arthur had watched plenty of threesomes with two girls, he had never watched any with _two guys_.

“Are they…?” Merlin started at realizing it. “Is this-”

“Shush,” Arthur said, frowning at the screen, not sure of what to make of that yet.

It started hot enough for Arthur to relax, seeing how the two guys took turns in pleasuring and kissing the woman, sandwiching her and moving their hands all over her body. But then they started to kiss over the woman’s shoulder.

“What the fuck?” Arthur said, taken aback. He moved to pause the video, but Merlin stopped him.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Merlin said, leaning forward.

Arthur looked up again to see that the two guys had turned their attentions back to the woman, one of them sucking her nipple while the other touched her ass. Arthur backed off, although he kept feeling a bit suspicious of the whole thing.

The guys made the girl crawl on her fours and one of them positioned in front of her to fuck her mouth while the other rimmed her, working her ass open with his tongue and fingers.

Well, that was interesting. Arthur finally felt confident enough to pull down his pants, watching Merlin do the same from the corner of his eye. Arthur wasn’t in a hurry, though, caressing himself lazily, almost teasingly. After the first two messy mutual wanks, they had agreed on taking things slow again, taking some time to enjoy the view rather than racing to the finish line.

Things got better and better when one of the guys on the screen laid down on his back and the girl stuffed her own ass with his cock, keeping her back to him, and her front to the other guy, who lost no time fucking her vagina.

Arthur squeezed the base of his twitching cock. He was ready to cut to the chase now. “Merlin?” he called, keeping his eyes on the screen as he leaned back to give Merlin access to his crotch.

“Bossy,” Merlin mumbled as he shifted to grab his cock, after squeezing the lube on his palm.

Arthur let his mind wander freely as he enjoyed both the visual and tactile simulations. Somewhere in his mind, he wondered if Merlin would ever agree to do that someday. Arthur normally wasn’t into that sort of thing, not with strangers, but he thought perhaps he wouldn’t mind sharing a girl with Merlin, if it came to that.

Arthur’s mind was still going that way when the trio shifted again. Only this time the girl was back on her fours and the guy from below her came to stand behind the other, kissing his neck and touching him _down there_.

“Oh, bollocks,” Arthur whined at the same time Merlin’s hand stilled on him. “It was so good, they had to go and ruin it.” He moved to pause the video again, but Merlin wouldn’t let him.

“Wait, give it a chance,” Merlin said, working Arthur’s cock head.

Arthur grunted, closing his eyes for a moment to enjoy the sudden surge of unexpected pleasure. Merlin usually left that for the end, but who was Arthur to complain now, as Merlin resumed stroking him, firm and steady the way Arthur liked it.

He opened his eyes again to see the guy up front turning his neck to kiss the guy behind him. It was still quite disturbing, but… perhaps not enough to put him off. Specially when there was still a lot of fucking going on.

The guy-from-the-middle was still fucking the woman and he let out a loud moan when the guy-from-the-back pushed his cock in his ass. Arthur heard Merlin gasp at his side, his hand stilling just a second before he picked up again.

Things became a bit uncoordinated for a moment, but the trio soon found a working rhythm. And for some reason, Arthur found his eyes glued on the spot where the two guys connected, watching the guy-from-behind cock disappearing into the other’s tight asshole, making him throw his head back in appreciation...

“Fuck,” Arthur said as he came.

“Shit,” Merlin said and Arthur noticed he had had his left hand on himself while jacking Arthur off. His cheeks were flushed and he was slightly out of breath as he wiped his hand off of Arthur’s come on his discarded shirt and grabbed Arthur’s wrist, guiding his hand towards his own crotch. “Come on, Arthur, please,” he pleaded, biting his lip while keeping his eyes on the screen.

Torn between amusement and bewilderment, Arthur complied, jerking him off with quick and efficient strokes. Arthur looked back to the video in time to see the guy-from-behind biting the back of the other’s neck while the girl cried out in pleasure. Suddenly, the guy-from-up-front pulled out of her pussy and stripped his cock fiercely until he came all over her, the other guy’s cock still buried deep inside his ass.

“Oh, Jesus, fuck,” Merlin said as he spilled all over himself and Arthur’s hand.

Arthur tried not to look so smug as he looked down at Merlin again, panting and twitching from the force of his orgasm. “You know, I bet I could make you come like that if you let me fuck you,” he teased.

“Wha-” Merlin panted, then opened his eyes wide. “ _What did you just say?_ ”

Arthur shrugged, too stubborn to back off now that he started. “You saw the guy. He was clearly enjoying taking it up the ass! I bet I could make you feel good as well.”

Merlin stared at him unreactive for a moment before letting out a humourless laugh. “Yeah, right.”

“What? It doesn't make him less of a man,” Arthur kept poking. “You know what they say, the whole human body is a huge erogenous zone, yada yada yada. In fact, I remember you mentioning anal sex can be particularly good for men.”

Merlin was already fixing his clothes back on. “Sure, whatever.”

“Is that a yes?”

“No, that's a ‘fuck off’, if you haven’t figured it out yet.” Merlin said crossedly and Arthur laughed.

Honestly, it was too good to rile Merlin up, specially when he got this touchy about something.

.Merlin.

Next time was totally not by accident. Arthur had spent a lot of time searching for some quality stuff and he had stumbled upon some pretty gay shit until he learned to go for the ‘bissexual’ tag. It wasn’t easy to find the perfect one, and if the male actors resembled both of them, it definitely wasn’t a mere coincidence.

“Arthur,” Merlin started in a warning tone, but Arthur waved it off.

“Relax, Merlin. I’m pretty confident you’ll enjoy it.”

The plot of the video was basically that the couple, the blond and slightly bulky haired guy and the girl, invited a friend, the lean black-haired guy, to spice things up a bit. Just like the other video, it started with the both of them servicing the girl, but soon the black-haired guy became the center of all the attention. He was put on his four in the bed with the girl bellow him, blowing his dick while the blond guy rimmed him from behind.

At that point, Arthur sneaked a peek at his companion and noticed the bulge on his pants. “Told you,” he said next to Merlin’s ear, making him startle.

“Shut up,” Merlin said, but copied Arthur when he pulled down his pants.

Arthur chose to start off that time, grabbing hold of Merlin’s penis when the blond guy started fucking the black-haired one. Merlin was blushing slightly in no time, his breathing already shallow.

“It looks good, doesn’t it?” Arthur asked in a deep voice, watching Merlin swallow. “I can make you feel good just like that. I’d make you beg for more, Merlin. I’d make you moan and push back and you’d feel so turned on you’d come buckets-”

“Ah, _fuck_ ,” Merlin cried out, closing his eyes tight as he came, panting.

Arthur had to hold back a smug smirk as he wiped his hand off of Merlin’s cum. He was impossibly hard as well and he had to squeeze the base of his cock to hold himself together while Merlin recovered from his orgasm.

“You bastard,” Merlin said, annoyed. “I should make you deal with that on your own.”

“Oh, come on, don’t be mean, Merlin. Selfishness doesn’t suit you.”

“No, it suits _you_ ,” Merlin sent him a cross look. “If it looks so good, how come I don’t hear you offering to let me fuck you instead?”

Arthur frowned, taken aback by the question. “Well, we both know _you_ don’t have _any_ experience with fucking,” he said, congratulating himself for the quick thinking. “It clearly takes an experienced guy to make it good for the other. And if we wait until you get that expertise… I mean, you wouldn’t be here watching porn with me if you had someone else to practice it with.”

Merlin seemed about to answer, but he ended up puffing and shaking his head. “Whatever,” he said, reaching out to Arthur’s neglected cock.

Arthur turned his eyes back to the video, where the trio was still going at it hard. He concentrated on the aesthetics of the view, ignoring the voice inside his head asking him when had it stopped being just teasing and became a serious offer.

.Merlin.

Arthur scribbled a note and waited until Prof. Monmouth turned his back on them to pass it to Merlin.

‘ _Ask your partner. She’ll tell you just how good I am,_ ’ it said.

Merlin was sitting right behind him and, to the boy’s dismay, he had ended up paired up with Sophia to the activity Prof. Monmouth had assigned them with.

Luckily, Arthur had paired up with Percy, who was dutifully taking notes instead of planning how to better tease his friend. Arthur looked over his shoulder just to watch Merlin’s face when he read the note, smirking when he blushed, crushing the paper in his tight fist and sending him a murderous glare.

Arthur had taken each and every opportunity to pester Merlin about that for the last week, hinting about his own skills in bed whenever he could, finishing with sending malicious looks his way.

Arthur smirked to himself and leaned forward to write another note. ‘ _She couldn’t get enough of me. She once asked me to bang her on the boy’s locker room because she couldn’t wait for the class to be over._ ’

Arthur passed it to Merlin and struggled not to laugh when he let out a shocked sound behind him. He felt a poke to the side a minute later and looked down to accept the note Merlin was giving him.

‘ _Send me another one and I’ll hand it to Prof. Monmouth._ ’

“Oh, _now_ I’m scared,” Arthur scoffed quietly.

“What?” Percy asked, raising one eyebrow at him.

Arthur straightened up. “Nothing. Let’s get this started, shaw we?”

.Merlin.

“Alright, let’s do this,” Merlin said as he took off his backpack the next time he showed up at Arthur’s house.

“Let’s do what?” Arthur asked, suspicious.

“I’ll let you fuck me. That is, in case you were serious about that.”

Arthur blinked rapidly, his mind struggling to process the first part of Merlin’s answer. He forced a laugh. “Well, I’m serious if you are.”

Merlin sighed, shaking his head. “Forget it. Let’s just…” He was about to reach for his backpack again when Arthur panicked.

“No, I mean, I _am_ serious,” he said, determined not to screw his chance to have actual intercourse. Who would let the opportunity of getting some pass, anyway? Especially when he hadn’t have any in a while.

So what if they were two guys? They were teenagers and horny and… and friends. It didn’t make them less straight.

 _Right_ , Arthur nodded to himself. He took a step towards Merlin, who still seemed a little unsure. “We can give it a try,” he said, trying to make if sound more confident than he felt. “Like I said, I can make it good for you.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Merlin said, warily. He looked away, sticking his hands in his pockets. “So… How’s this going to be?”

“Right, uh,” Arthur looked around, searching for the lube and rescuing a condom from his own backpack to buy himself some time to think this through. “Here’s what we’ll need and…” Damn it, he should have thought this through already, but he wasn’t going to admit defeat now. He snapped his fingers, having an idea. “We should probably establish some rules first.”

“Sure,” Merlin nodded. “What rules?”

“We don’t tell a word about this to anyone. I mean, not a soul.”

Merlin frowned. “Why would I tell anyone if I’m the one about to get screwed here?”

“Great,” Arthur said, waving his comment away. “No kissing on the mouth, obviously. I- I mean, we’re no homo. Oh, and no oral either.” He frowned. “I think that covers it. Anything else is fair play... unless one of us feels uncomfortable, of course. We can discuss adding other rules, if it comes to that.”

“Okay,” Merlin nodded again. “Sure. That sounds… fine.”

“Great,” Arthur said. He cleared his throat. His tone was all business when he spoke again. “We should… undress now.”

“Right,” Merlin agreed in the same businesslike tone.

Arthur avoided looking at Merlin while taking off his clothes. He stopped when there was only his boxers left. He looked at Merlin, who was struggling to take off his jeans, which had caught on his socks.

Jesus, he thought he knew what awkward meant before, but this… He was starting to get nervous and that couldn’t happen.

“Maybe I should put something on to get us in the mood first,” Arthur suggested.

“That’s… a great idea,” Merlin agreed, also avoiding looking at him.

Arthur turned his laptop on and rescued one of the videos he had marked for later. It was an accidental threesome, where the boyfriend caught his girlfriend with another guy and decided to join in instead off starting a fight.

Merlin joined him in the bed when he was down to his briefs as well, although he had kept his socks on. Arthur found it hard to concentrate on the video at first, but then the cheated-on-boyfriend came into the picture and suddenly he remembered why he had liked this video so much. The actor was a blond version of Merlin, all riled up and angry at first, until the other guy convinced him to get in the bed with them.

When the guy started to kiss the boyfriend’s back and finger his ass, Arthur was ready to get going. He cleared his throat. “So… How about we get started now?”

He could practically hear Merlin swallow at his side. “Alright.”

Arthur got up to take off his boxers and Merlin did the same. Their eyes met for a moment. Merlin’s eyes traveled down Arthur’s body to his half-hard cock and he swallowed again before asking. “What now?”

“Turn around,” Arthur said and waited until Merlin was standing with his knees pressed on the mattress. He approached behind him, holding him by the shoulders to maneuver him to the side so that the both of them could face the screen. He grabbed the lube, coating his own fingers. “Try to relax,” he told Merlin after stepping closer. He held Merlin’s waist lightly with his left hand to keep him in place before touching him between the arse cheeks.

Merlin jumped slightly at the touch, but didn’t move away. Arthur glanced briefly at the screen, where the guy was rimming the boyfriend now. He could tell Merlin’s breathing was shallow as he circled Merlin’s hole with his index finger before slipping it across his perineum. Merlin’s breathing hitched when Arthur did it again.

Arthur looked down Merlin’s back, to where his own hand was working. Merlin’s butt was perk and pale and had a little more hair than a girl’s, but it wasn’t awful to look at. Arthur’s cock twitched at picturing himself burying his dick inside it. He came even closer to Merlin, breathing hot air over his neck as he slipped the tip of his lubed up finger into Merlin’s asshole.

Merlin gasped, but still didn’t move away. Arthur had to admit, the boy was brave and trusting.

Arthur pushed his finger back and put some more lube before resuming his exploration. He teased Merlin’s ring again before slipping one finger in, this time going deeper. Merlin clutched his finger as he gasped again, taken by surprise.

“Shh,” Arthur said into his ear, caressing Merlin’s back with his thumb. “Relax, Merlin.”

“O-Okay,” Merlin nodded, taking a deep breath to loosen up his inner muscles.

When he was relaxed enough, Arthur started to move his finger gently, very slow, until the movement became easier.

“Is this okay?” Arthur checked.

“Y-Yeah,” Merlin mumbled in reply. “It’s not bad.”

Arthur pulled out and coated his fingers on the lube gathering on Merlin’s perineum before pushing two digits in.

“Shit,” Merlin said under his breath.

“Want me to stop?” Arthur asked, dreading the answer. On the screen, the guy was preparing to push his cock in the boyfriend’s ass, stroking his shaft with the lube.

Merlin shook his head no. “Keep going.”

Arthur pulled out and timed his next entering with the video. Suddenly, he was three fingers in and Merlin was cursing, clutching him again.

“Easy,” Arthur said, circling his free hand around Merlin’s chest to hold him, bringing him back into his chest and allowing his lips to brush over Merlin’s neck.

Arthur’s dick was now pressed against Merlin’s tight. Merlin tilted his head to the other side, giving his mouth more room to work. Encouraged by that reaction, Arthur slid his lips down Merlin’s salty neck, noticing his hair standing up in goosebumps. He brushed his thumb on Merlin’s nipple, making him gasp and shudder.

Arthur started to move his fingers gently again. “Tell me if it hurts.”

“Ah,” Merlin mumbled suddenly, making Arthur freeze.

“What?”

“Do that again,” Merlin said under his breath.

“What?”

Merlin moved his own hips towards Arthur’s fingers and cursed. Arthur noticed his fingers had brushed a different texture inside of him and moved his fingers again.

“Ow, wait,” Merlin said, moving away from his hand. “I think…”

“What?” Arthur asked again, a little lost.

“No, never mind,” Merlin said, shaking his head. “I thought I needed to pee. But I don’t.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, just-” Merlin swallowed giving him a sideways glance. “Just keep going.”

Arthur picked up the condom and grabbed the lube. “You might want to lean forward to support yourself.”

“Alright,” Merlin complied, bending over to press his hands on the mattress, exposing himself to Arthur.

Arthur put on the condom and looked down at Merlin's long spine as he stroked himself with the lube. He had to admit he really enjoyed the view. He could easily picture a girl like this.

“Let me know if it hurts, alright?” he said, to what Merlin simply nodded.

Arthur noticed his back was tense, though, and suddenly it dawned on him just how great his responsibility was here. Merlin was a virgin, he had had zero sexual encounters before this. And Arthur had promised him a good time. To him, not just to Arthur. What if he screwed up? What if Merlin didn’t enjoy it? What if he came to regret his decision and ended up resenting Arthur for pushing him to do it?

Arthur shook those doubt away. He had made his research; he had prepared himself as much as he could. He could do it. He took a deep breath.

He decided he could spare a couple more seconds before getting to business. He moved closer so that he could fit his cock between Merlin's arse cheeks and leaned down to mouth between his shoulder blades. “Relax, Merlin,” he mumbled when Merlin jumped to the contact.

‘I’m... trying,” Merlin said, letting his head fall forward as he breathed out. “This… feels good,” he said when Arthur started to rub himself on him.

Arthur resumed kissing him on the neck and shoulder blades, reaching around his waist to grab Merlin’s cock, giving it a few strokes. Merlin let out a soft gasp at that and suddenly, he was loosening up, pushing backwards to rub himself on Arthur.

A little short of breath, Arthur straightened up and lined up his cock with Merlin’s entrance. “Touch yourself,” he instructed and waited until Merlin complied to start pushing, slow and steady. He was just passing Merlin’s inner ring when-

“Ugh,” Merlin mumbled, moving forward and away from Arthur’s dick. “Wait,” he asked, panting as he supported his forehead on the mattress.

“It’s alright,” Arthur assured, caressing Merlin’s side in what he hoped to be a soothing way. “We’ve got all the time in the world.”

Merlin took a long deep breath before raising his head again. “Okay, let me try this,” he said and straightened up his spine, reaching out with one hand to grab Arthur’s penis and guiding it to his own hole.

Arthur leaned back and watched while Merlin stuffed himself full with his cock until it was all in. “Fuck,” Arthur cursed. It was _so_ tight and hot and _wonderful_!

“Shit,” Merlin said under his breath. And then he started to move, setting the pace. Slow at first, but faster and faster. “Shit,” he cursed again, louder.

“What?” Arthur asked. He wished he could see Merlin’s face to have a clue of what was going through his head.

“That, yes, move now,” Merlin said, grabbing hold of his own cock again.

Arthur lost no time. He held Merlin by the hips and picked up where Merlin had left, banging into him strong and steady. “Like this?”

“Yes!” Merlin approved, his arm moving fast as he jerked himself off. “Yes! Fuck!”

Arthur would be amazed if he wasn’t so turned on. Every one of Merlin’s exclamations seemed to travel right to his cock. He hoped Merlin was ready because he probably wouldn’t last too long. He was sixteen, after all, and it was his first time doing anal, therefore it wasn’t that surprising. Besides, it had been a long time since he had had sex for the last time. Surely, it was perfectly understandable if ended too soon, right?

“Come on, Merlin,” Arthur encouraged, struggling not to give in.

“Fuck, I’m close,” Merlin said and Arthur almost felt like thanking him.

Arthur sped up the pace, holding Merlin’s shoulders to keep it short and hard and…

Suddenly, Arthur was coming with a shocked gasp. He kept still for a moment, buried deep and throbbing endlessly. Merlin let out a whine and started to move against him while still jacking off. He cried out as he came, throwing his head back and squeezing Arthur’s sensitive cock almost painfully.

Arthur pulled out with a hiss, taking a couple of steps back, his cock still twitching as it softened. Merlin collapsed face first on the mattress, barely missing the laptop.

Arthur had completely forgotten the video, which was still going, by the way. He leaned over to flip the lid close and walked to the bathroom to dispose of the condom. He decided to take a quick shower, just to get rid of the sweat and residual lube. He tried not to overthink it or torture himself with picturing what would come next. He couldn’t help reviving the hole thing in his head, though. He wasn’t sure he had been true to his word with Merlin. Had he really enjoyed it? He seemed to have, but how could Arthur be sure?

Arthur wrapped a towel around his hips and came back to his room to find Merlin pulling a face as he sat up, trying to put his jeans back on.

“So…” Arthur started, not sure of what to say next.

Merlin rubbed his belly as he looked up to Arthur. “Sorry, I made a mess on your bed cover.”

Arthur chuckled. Only Merlin would be worried about that right now. “Do you want to take a shower?”

“Yes,” Merlin’s shoulders sagged in relief. He gave up on getting dressed and grabbed his clothes, walking to the bathroom and closing the door behind him.

Arthur sighed. He ringed George, asking him to bring some snacks. He got dressed then, and pulled the dirty bed cover out. He turned the TV and game console on and was about to press play when Merlin came out of the bathroom.

“I asked George to bring us some snacks. Wanna play something?”

“Um,” Merlin glanced at the bed then looked away, scratching his nape. “I think I’m heading home.”

“But we didn’t study for tomorrow’s test yet. Or did you just make it up so that we could bang?” He made an attempt at sassiness.

Merlin grimaced, averting his eyes and Arthur cursed himself.

“Look,” Arthur tried again, “you don’t have to sit down. We can lay on our stomachs.” Arthur demonstrated. “See?”

Fortunately, that made Merlin huff a laugh. “Asshole,” he said, but moved to join him, reaching for a controller.

Arthur smiled to himself. Before he pressed play, he looked to the side, assessing his friend. “Are you alright?”

Merlin kept his eyes on the controller as he answered. “I don’t really… wanna talk about it now.”

“Alright,” Arthur said. He knew it was better not to pressure him, even though he was dying to know.

He started the game.

.oOo.

 _‘Do you regret it?’_ Arthur texted that same night, before going to bed.

He put the phone away, trying to convince himself he shouldn't wait for an answer so soon. It was late, Merlin had probably gone to sleep by now.

He picked it up again quickly when it buzzed.

_'Not really, no.’_

Arthur breathed out in relief. He looked down again when another text came.

_'Do you?’_

_‘Same,’_ Arthur replied, and went to sleep.

.Merlin.

Merlin was avoiding him. Not that he wasn't talking to Arthur or something like that; he answered Arthur's questions and sometimes even smiled to him, but his answers were short, his smile didn't reach his eyes and he never held Arthur's stare for too long.

He always had some excuse not to go to Arthur's house as well. He said his godfather needed him in his store that week and if Arthur wanted to study, he could come by so that they could study in between customers.

Arthur would be lying if he said he wasn't worried. He was fucking terrified, actually. Yet, if his father had taught him something was to never show weakness, so Arthur pretended not to notice and kept going as if nothing was out of order. At least until he couldn’t keep the pretense anymore.

“Are you going to eat that?” Arthur asked, pointing to the half eaten chocolate bar on Merlin's hand.

Their literature class had been dismissed after the teacher had a personal emergency, and for this reason the boys were gathered next to the schoolyard. Whilst most of them talked and killed time, Merlin had his nose buried on the biology textbook, to no one's surprise.

“Oh,” Merlin said, blinking. “No, I'm good,” he said and handed Arthur the chocolate, turning his attention back to the book.

Frustrated, Arthur was about to resort to teasing when Gwaine turned to them.

“Hey, Merlin, did you know there's an opening at the football team now that Valiant is gone?”

“Valiant's gone?” Merlin asked, frowning. “Why? What happened?”

Gwaine shrugged. “He said he's transferring schools, but I heard he was caught selling illegal stuff after the last game. No big loss, though. His shit wasn't that good.”

Merlin was still frowning at him. “So? What does it has to do with me?”

“Well, you're the only one of us who isn't in the team. I thought you'd like to join in.”

Merlin snorted. “No, thanks. Sorry, I appreciate the sentiment, but I'm not good with sports.”

“Hear hear,” Arthur said. “He's not even built for it. He's all skin and bones!”

Merlin looked down at that and Arthur cursed himself. Before he could make any amends, though, Gwaine stepped in again.

“Nonsense,” Gwaine said. “Merlin's all compact muscles, I can tell. I bet he can get in shape with some practice. What do you say, Merlin?”

Arthur smiled to himself when something in Gwaine's words gave him an idea. “You know what, I think Gwaine's right. I think you can get good at anything with practice. You know, try again and again until you find the best way to do it, the most effective for you, if you know what I mean?” Arthur wobbled his eyebrows. “After all, you know what they say: practice makes perfect!”

“That's what I'm talking about,” Gwaine agreed, oblivious to Arthur's insinuations.

Merlin, on the other had, had gotten exactly what Arthur meant, by the way he blushed and looked away.

“You know I can help you with that, right?” Arthur finished, careful to keep his tone low as he leaned closer to Merlin's ear.

“We all could, right guys?” Gwaine said excitedly, looking to the others, who agreed. “We could book the school field to practice, or play at Arthur's backyard-”

Arthur turned to him, annoyed. “Hey, I don't remember inviting any of you-”

“Guys? Guys!” Merlin said, finally closing his textbookbook, calling everyone's attention. “I really appreciate the offering, but I don't really like football or any other sports, so… Just drop it, alright?”

He shoved the book in his backpack and stood up, leaving.

“What's with him?” Elyan asked, puzzled at the whole scene.

Arthur was already on his feet, following after Merlin. He had to run to catch up with him. “Merlin, wait,” he asked, reaching for Merlin's wrist, but Merlin shook him off.

“Not now, Arthur!”

Arthur stopped, taken aback by Merlin's hostile tone. “Alright, but when, then?” he asked, covering his hurt with annoyance. “You said you didn’t regret it, but you act like you do!”

Merlin stopped at that, his shoulders sagging, although he kept his back to him.

“Was it that bad?” Arthur asked, unable to stop himself.

“Arthur…” Merlin shook his head. “Please, don’t.”

Arthur sighed. He took a step closer. “Look, if you don’t want to talk about it, alright, I can understand that. But you don’t have to stop talking to me altogether! We’re friends!”

Merlin hesitated for a moment before turning around, although he didn’t look Arthur in the eye. “You’re right, I’m sorry.”

Arthur let out a relieved breath. “Good. Come to my house after school,” he said and continued before Merlin could say something. “I swear I won’t push you to do anything. We could just… hang out, play video games and shit.”

Merlin bit his lower lip, frowning for a moment. He shook his head as he looked up at him. “I’m sorry, I really can’t go today,” he apologized and Arthur’s pose deflated. “I promised Gaius I’d come help him. But maybe tomorrow?”

Arthur straightened up again. “Yes! Great! Alright.”

Merlin offered him a timid smile. “Alright. See you tomorrow, then.”

“Bye!”

Arthur jogged back to his friends, feeling lighter. He was far from reassured, but at least he could hope now that there was a chance everything would be back to normal, even if it took some time.

.Merlin.

Merlin did come to Arthur’s house that Friday after school, as he promised. Things were a bit unnatural at first, but Arthur was determined to overcome that. Arthur figured Merlin would feel more at ease if he didn’t have to stay locked in Arthur’s room, so he offered for them to watch a movie on the living room TV, where George brought them hot chocolate and buttered popcorn.

After the film, he invited Merlin to take a swim at the inside pool, offering to borrow him a swimming trunk. Merlin wasn’t sure at first, but ended up giving in. They played in the heated water until their skins were wrinkled. They also talked and laughed and it was like nothing out of ordinary had happened between them, except that sometimes, when Merlin turned his naked back on him, Arthur’s mind flooded with memories of moans and slapping of skin and he had to count backwards from ten or think about his uncle Agravaine’s greasy hair to avoid having a boner.

“This is nice,” Merlin said when they sat by the pool side by side, keeping their feet in the water.

“Yeah, it is,” Arthur admitted, surprised. “I don’t know why I never invited you down here. Perhaps because Morgana’s always here with her friends.”

“Or perhaps because you’re a selfish dick who didn’t want to share the pool with a peasant like me.”

Arthur huffed in offense and pushed Merlin back into the water, making him yep as he fell. “I’m no selfish anything.”

They were both smiling when Arthur offered him a hand to come out again.

“Arthur,” Merlin said when they were both sitting side by side again, “I’m sorry I avoided you this past week.”

Arthur glanced at his friend before looking back to the water. “It’s okay. I mean, we’re okay, right?”

“Yeah,” Merlin assured. “And… I didn’t think it was bad, like you said before.”

“Oh,” Arthur said, suddenly apprehensive. There was something in the way Merlin said those words that hinted that there was more to be said. “But?”

Merlin offered him a nervous laugh. “No, there’s no but. I just wanted you to know that... it wasn’t bad, it was just… too intense, I guess. Not to mention awkward. I- I didn’t know how to deal with it. I guess I was just trying to make things easier for you, in case you wanted to pretend it never happened.”

“Why would I want that?” Arthur asked, puzzled.

Merlin sighed. “I don’t know. We’re friends and… well...”

“Not gay,” Arthur filled in the blank. “I know what you mean, but that’s the thing. It will only be a big deal if we make it one. It’s just sex! There’s nothing wrong with that, especially when you’re doing it with someone you care for, right?”

Arthur looked to the side to see Merlin frowning to the water.

“Besides,” Arthur continued his argument, “it’s not that unusual. Some people have friends with benefits. I mean, relationships are so stressful and demanding and consuming. Also, girls can be so fucking _annoying_ when they put their mind on it. I don’t have time for that right now, with school and practice and the A-Levels coming. Why can’t we just have fun, instead?”

Merlin still wasn’t saying anything, and Arthur was starting to get really worried.

“I- I mean, in case you’re still up for it,” Arthur added, swallowing hard. “But I’ll understand if you don’t want to do it again.”

Arthur shut up then, suddenly very anxious. Had he crossed a line? Perhaps he shouldn’t have brought this up so soon. Merlin had just opened up about what happened, and here Arthur was bringing up doing it over again.

“I do,” he heard Merlin’s timid answer.

Arthur turned his neck so hard he could have easily sprained it. “What?”

Merlin cleared his throat, giving him a brief glance before saying it again. “I do want to try again.”

“Really?” Arthur said, then cursed himself for sounding so eager. “I mean, good. You won’t regret it, I promise, ‘cause I’m sure I can do better next time.”

Merlin chuckled then, rolling his eyes. “Are you seriously so vain that you’re willing to compete with yourself on this?”

“It’s not about vanity!” Arthur defended himself. “I’m actually being very unselfish here, if you haven’t noticed yet.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Of course!”

“And how so?”

“Why, by making sure it’s good for you!”

Merlin scoffed. “As if you don't get anything out of it.”

Arthur smirked at him. “What can I say? Doing good to other people can be very... gratifying.”

Merlin chuckled then, shaking his head.

“So…” Arthur said. “How about we do it now?”

Merlin swallowed hard, but nodded. They stood up quickly, towelled off and then Arthur lead the way to his bedroom.

.oOo.

Arthur’s mind was set on making it the best experience in Merlin’s life. He pressed play on the best video he had found that week, but as soon as it started, he told Merlin to take off his clothes and climb the bed, facing the screen, getting on his hands and knees.

Arthur stripped himself as well and climbed right after him. He braced himself then, before doing the most bold thing he had ever done in bed so far: rimming Merlin.

“What are you _doing_?” Merlin said, straightening up and turning around to face him with round eyes after Arthur licked his asshole for the first time.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Arthur asked, defensive. What was it now? He felt cold in his stomach just to think what could have gone wrong.

“But… Isn’t it against the rules?”

Arthur rolled his eyes, relieved. “I said no blow jobs, I didn’t mention anything about rimming. Why? Do you want to put it off limits?”

“No, I just…” Merlin scrunched his nose. “Isn’t it gross? I mean, if you really want to try that, I should probably take a shower first.”

“You don’t have to. I mean, you’re tasting of chlorine, if anything. But feel free to shower if that’s what’s troubling you.”

“Alright,” Merlin said, getting up and into the bathroom.

Arthur sighed, pressing pause to the video. It was probably for the best to let Merlin have his way; he would feel more prone to relax and enjoy it if he didn’t have any more reasons to be uncomfortable than necessary. Arthur took the time to take the lube and condom and place them at his reach. He also cared to fix his still wet hair while looking at the closet mirror, trying to tame his locks back in place.

Fortunately, it didn’t take too long for Merlin to join him back in bed, smelling of soap and slightly pink from the hot water. Soon they were back to where they had left: Merlin on his four and Arthur with his face between Merlin’s arse cheeks.

Despite his words, Arthur really expected to feel grossed out at some point, but the moment never came. In fact, he felt more and more turned on by the minute. The sounds Merlin made as Arthur worked his tongue around his anus and perineum proved to be very inciting. Arthur soon felt encouraged enough to push the tip of his tongue through Merlin’s opening, fucking him again and again, making Merlin squirm under his attentions.

“Arthur,” Merlin gasped. “Arthur, please,” he pleaded. For mercy? For more?

Arthur pulled away just to reach for the lube, applying some of it on his fingers. He resumed licking him while prodding him open with his index finger. It slipped inside with ease and Merlin let out a soft moan at the entering. Arthur soon worked two digits in and Merlin was still panting and cursing in a way that had nothing to do with pain. Arthur licked his perineum while scissoring his fingers to make room for the third finger. Merlin was squirming so much, he ended up lying flat on the mattress with Arthur leaning over him. Arthur found a little resistance when pushing all three fingers in, but Merlin didn’t stop him.

“Fuck,” Merlin said as Arthur finger-fucked him. “I’m ready, Arthur.”

“Are you?” Arthur asked, reaching for a condom and ripping it open with his teeth.

“Yes!” Merlin agreed, sounding as eager as out of breath. His blush was starting to spread to his neck.

Arthur cursed as he pulled his fingers out to unroll the condom over his achingly hard cock. He squeezed the base as he lubed it up. He had to last this time. At least until Merlin was finished.

He crawled on top of Merlin’s lying form and tried to fit his cock between Merlin’s cheeks, but the angle wasn’t helping. Arthur grabbed a pillow and patted Merlin’s hips. “Move up a bit,” he instructed and pushed the pillow bellow him to lever his hips up and looked down to Merlin’s turned up ass. “Now, this is perfect.”

“Um, Arthur, there’s a very big chance I’ll mess up your pillow, you know?”

“Don’t care,” Arthur said and leaned over to kiss Merlin’s neck as he lined up his cock with Merlin’s slicked opening.

Merlin gasped and held onto the sheets when Arthur started to push in, but he didn’t ask Arthur to stop and so Arthur continued until he bottomed out.

“Shit,” Merlin cursed under his breath, his face turned to the side. From this close, Arthur could see the sweat gathering on top of his upper lip.

They were both breathing hard as Arthur waited for Merlin to get adjusted. He tried not to put too much of his weight on Merlin while breathing hot air over his shoulder blades.

“Can I?” Arthur asked.

“Yes, move, now,” Merlin said eagerly and Arthur didn’t have to be told twice.

He started pumping into him at a slow pace, but Merlin’s frown got deeper at that.

“Faster,” he asked.

Arthur hesitated only for a moment before complying. He slammed into Merlin’s tight hole again and again making Merlin moan and pant. Arthur leaned down to bury his nose on Merlin’s nape.

“So good,” Arthur said under his breath.

“Yes,” Merlin said in the same whispered tone.

Arthur continued fucking him hard, making Merlin rock into the mattress again and again.

“Fuck, I’m gonna come,” Merlin warned after some time.

Arthur sped up, cursing and grunting, concentrating all his will in controlling his own urges. “Come on, Merlin,” he encouraged.

“I’m coming,” Merlin said and tried to muffle his cry on the mattress.

Arthur was lost to his own needs now, chasing his orgasm with abandon. He rammed into Merlin over and over until he cried out too, spilling his seed into the condom in strong spurts.

He heard Merlin grunt and say something, but was too high to listen. He felt Merlin pushing him away then and pulled out, collapsing on the bed beside him facing the ceiling, trying to catch his breath. “Sorry,” he said. “Did I hurt you?”

Merlin rolled over, mimicking his position. “No, it’s just… a bit uncomfortable… now that I’m done,” he cleared out.

Arthur stored that information on his mind for the next time. “Was it better?” he couldn’t help but ask, glancing to his side.

Merlin frowned, his eyes still closed as he licked his dry lips. “Yeah... I guess it was.”

“Great,” Arthur said, sated and contented. He closed his eyes as well.

“We forgot to press play,” Merlin said.

Arthur raised his head, looking at the laptop. The video was still frozen at the beginning. “Shit,” Arthur said, then let his head fall back down. “Well, screw the video.”

Merlin started to chuckle then. “Screw the video,” he said and then he was laughing, shaking the mattress.

Arthur laughed too, partly from amusement and partly from relief.

They were back to normal again. Or, at least, as normal as the both of them could be.

.Merlin.

They only used porn for reference after that, mostly when they wanted to try new positions. They didn’t always prove to be as good as it seemed to be on screen, but it was always worth to try.

Arthur was proud to say he had learned exactly what worked for Merlin and what didn’t; how to make him come quick or last a bit more; how to make him squirm and beg shamelessly. He even learned how to tell when Merlin was horny, or how to make him so. It was particularly amusing to tease him during class and watch him try and hide his erection after Arthur shamelessly dirty talked into his ear. The redness of his cheeks always gave him away, though.

“I’d like you to pair up for the next assignment, please,” Prof. Muirden said that morning.

Arthur turned to Merlin immediately, meeting his eyes. Arthur wobbled his eyebrows and Merlin gave him an eye roll before moving his chair to sit beside Arthur.

“Good thing we work together so well, right Merlin?” Arthur said smugly.

“Stop right there,” Merlin said between gritted teeth.

“I said to pair up, not to start a party,” Muirden said as the class got noisy. “Now pay attention. It came to my notice that there has been an outbreak of some nasty STDs around the school, and since I got the short end of the stick on the last PTA meeting, I decided to sort out a few subjects. You’ll take today’s class to research about said subject and start making a poster, so we can hang all over the class. Please keep it PG-13 or there will be consequences, are we clear? Mr. Evans and Mr. Fernandes, your poster will be about gonorrhea.”

There was a round of groans and laughter.

Arthur turned to talk on Merlin’s ear. “You see? Another benefit of having a steady sex partner. I pretty much saved you from getting the crabs.”

Merlin stepped on his foot. “Shut up, Arthur.”

“Ouch!” Arthur rubbed his offended foot. “Why, you should be thanking me, Merlin, really-”

“Mr. Pendragon and Mr. Emrys, congratulations, you got the crabs,” Prof. Muirden said in a forcedly cheerful tone, placing a large piece of poster board on top of their desk.

Merlin laughed. “Oh, look, it turns out you didn’t save me from getting it, after all.”

Arthur shrugged. “It could’ve been worse.”

“Ms. Smith, how kind of you to join us,” Prof. Muirden said when Guinevere showed up nearly ten minutes late.

“I’m sorry, professor. I was helping Prof. Monmouth taking some books to the library. He asked me to give you this note,” she offered the old man a folded piece of paper, which Muirden had to put on his glasses to read.

“Alright, come in,” he said, taking his glasses off again. “I’m afraid you’ll have to join in on one of the pairs.”

“Here,” Merlin waved, and Arthur groaned.

“Thank you, guys,” Gwen said, pulling up a chair beside them. “You won’t regret this. I’m a hard worker, you’ll see.”

“And your handwriting is better than ours,” Merlin said.

“Hey!” Arthur said, indignantly. “My handwriting is fine!”

“But Gwen’s better!” Merlin said, nudging him with his foot.

“What’s the assignment?” Gwen asked cheerfully.

“We’ll have to make a poster on crabs,” Arthur said, rejoicing on watching all the previous cheerfulness deflating her.

“Oh,” she said, then shrugged. “Well, it could’ve been worse.”

“Yes, indeed,” Merlin agreed and Arthur eyed him hurtfully.

.oOo.

Merlin and Guinevere did most of the research while Arthur moped. They started making a sketch of the poster on a paper sheet, but the class was over before they could finish it.

“Oh, no, we were so close to finishing it!” Guinevere whined.

“How about we meet in the library after class?” Merlin suggested. “We’ll be done in no time.”

“I can’t,” Arthur said grumpily. “Morgana’s picking me up today and she won’t stop bitching me if I change plans in such a short notice.”

“So how about we finish it at yours, then?” Merlin said and Arthur was about to protest when he looked up to see Merlin’s expectant face. “I’m sure Morgana won’t mind giving me and Gwen a ride.”

Arthur rolled his eyes and puffed in defeat. “Fine.”

“Great! I’ll take care of this,” Guinevere rolled the poster board  and grabbed her bag. “See you guys later!”

.oOo.

Merlin was right, of course; Morgana was pleased with Guinevere’s addition to the ride and Arthur had to sit at the back of her Mini Cooper with Merlin while the girls planned going out for some ice cream later. The only bright side of all that was that Arthur could tease Merlin all through the way to his house.

“You know, we could do something after we’re done as well, Merlin. Just the two of us. What do you say?”

Merlin gave him a warning glare after glancing at the two girls still chatting at the front. “I don’t know, my mom’s coming home early today. She promised to cook me a strawberry pie.”

“I can ask the chauffeur to drop you off later,” Arthur shrugged. “Your mother won’t even notice you’re late.” He leaned down to speak next to Merlin’s ear, while putting his hand on his thigh, dangerously close to his crotch. “Come on, Merlin. I promise you won’t regret it.”

“Arthur!” Merlin hissed, shaking his hand away. “Watch it! Your sister and Gwen are right there!”

“They’re too busy to notice us. Beside, for all we know, they could be screwing each other as well.”

“Jesus, Arthur!” Merlin shook his head, unbelieving. “Do you listen to the shit that comes out of your mouth?”

Arthur eyed him suspiciously. “Say, Merlin, would you like to ask Guinevere to join us? ‘Cause I could-”

Merlin covered his mouth. “Shh! Shush! That’s enough, don’t even joke about this again.”

Arthur tried pushing his hand away, but Merlin forced it back and they started to struggle for dominance in the tight space of the back of Morgana’s car. Merlin had to use virtually his whole body weight to fight back Arthur’s strength, which led him to nearly sit on top of Arthur’s lap to keep up.

“Hey, guys,” Arthur heard Morgana’s call. “Everything alright back there?”

They didn’t pay her any mind, continuing their so called fight. Arthur didn’t rest until he had Merlin in a headlock, his face reddened.

“What did you say?” Arthur asked, rubbing his knuckles on Merlin’s scalp when he cursed.

“Ouch! I said you win! Now let me go!”

Arthur released his hold on him, smirking. He had to readjust his jeans to better accommodate the erection resulting from all that rubbing. He also had a hunch Merlin’s blushing wasn’t entirely from the physical effort, especially when Merlin avoided looking his way as he tried to tame his messy hair back into place. Arthur looked up to see Morgana’s assessing eyes on him through the rearview mirror.

“Everything’s perfectly fine, sis,” he said, feeling daring.

.oOo.

The three of them decided to sit by the dinner table, where they would have more room to work on the poster, while Morgana climbed up the stairs to her room. Guinevere was excited to get started. She begun discussing her ideas with Merlin as they finished the sketch while Arthur scrolled over his social media, resigned to be left aside for as long as it took for them to finish that damned assignment. He argued with himself that it was probably for the best if he didn’t disturb them, so that they could get this over with as quickly as possible and he could finally have Merlin all to himself.

“Great! We should probably start putting it on the poster board , then,” Merlin said at some point.

“Yeah, sure, I’ll just- Oh shoot!” Guinevere said suddenly, her eyes going round. “The poster board! I forgot entirely about it!”

“You mean you left it in the car?” Merlin asked.

Guinevere groaned. “No! I left it back at the school!”

“Oh,” Merlin frowned. “Arthur, do you happen to have any-”

“Not a chance,” Arthur interrupted him, experiencing a cruel satisfaction at the girl’s growing distress.

“Oh, Gosh, I can’t believe I did this!” Guinevere said, covering her mouth.

“Maybe Morgana could take us back there to-”

“No!” Guinevere said, getting up. “Don’t worry, you two, I’ll find a way. It was my mistake, I said I’d bring it and I forgot it, so I’ll… I’ll work something out, I’ll just…”

“Arthur!” Merlin said between greeted teeth.

Arthur eyed him, confused. “What?”

“Do something!” Merlin urged, gesturing to Guinevere with his head.

Arthur let out a suffering sigh. “George!” He called and the butler showed up almost instantly. “Ask the chauffeur to drive my friend here to the school and back.”

“Right away, Mr. Pendragon,” George offered them a stiff curtsy before gesturing for Guinevere to follow him. “Ms. Smith, if you care to follow me, please.”

Guinevere stopped gnawing her lip to offer them a grateful smile. “Excuse me, I promise I’ll be back in no time.”

She grabbed her bag and left.

Merlin sighed as he sat down next to Arthur. “Poor thing,” he shook his head.

Arthur raised one eyebrow at Merlin. “So…” he started, trying to sound casual. “She’ll probably take about… half an hour. Probably more.” He leaned over the table, getting on Merlin’s personal space. “Any ideas on what we can do while we wait?”

Merlin swallowed dry.

.oOo.

Gwen was feeling really stupid right now. How could she have forgotten the poster board like that? She could tell Merlin was sympathetic, but Arthur had been in a really sour mood the entire day and Gwen’s mess up certainly didn’t improve it any bit. It was a fifteen minutes drive to the school and, if she was really optimistic, she’d take no less than forty minutes to get the poster board back.

 _Stupid, stupid Gwen_ , she told herself.

She was just following George through the kitchen to the back of the house when she had an idea. She stopped in her tracks and picked up her phone, dialing Lancelot’s number.

“This way, Ms. Smith,” George called out, but she gestured for him to be quiet.

“ _Gwen?_ ” Lancelot picked up after the second ring, sounding surprised.

“Lance, I’m sorry to call you like this, I really hope I’m not interrupting your studies or something.”

“ _No, I-_ ” Lance started to answer, but Gwen was in a hurry.

“Are you still at the school, by any chance?”

“ _Yes, I was just heading to the parking lot. Why?_ ”

“Thank God!” she breathed out. “I mean, could you- could you do me a favor, please?”

“ _Of course! Anything you ask,_ ” Lancelot said and Gwen’s heart nearly melted at that.

Jeez, she wanted to have his babies.

 _Get a grip, Gwen_ , she told herself and instructed Lancelot in where to find the forgotten poster board. Fortunately, Lancelot found it very quickly and said he’d be there in ten minutes tops.

Gwen hung up with a big smile on her face. She told George she wouldn’t need the ride after all and asked if she could wait outside. She opted not to say a word to the boys, in case Lancelot took longer than expected. George accompanied her outside and offered to make her company while she waited, which she politely declined. The butler was a good man, but he also was a bit creepy.

Lancelot took exactly thirteen minutes to arrive with the poster board and his gorgeous smile. Gwen was so grateful she kissed him on the cheek before she knew what she was doing.

“Thank you so much, Lance! You’re a true life saver! I owe you one!”

“You owe me absolutely nothing. But I’d be honored if you agreed to go to a movie with me sometime this week, what do you say?”

“Oh!” Gwen felt her cheeks heating up. “Sure! Yes, I’d like that.”

“Great, we’ll talk later,” Lancelot said before driving away.

Gwen waved goodbye until he disappeared around a corner and then shrieked in excitement. She had a second date with Lancelot Du Lac! Merlin was going to freak out when she told him.

Merlin!

“Shoot!” Gwen said and ran back inside, holding the rolled poster board to her chest. “Guys! Guys?” she said to an empty dinner room. “George, have you seen Arthur and Merlin?”

“They must be upstairs,” George said. “Arthur’s room is the second door to the right. Would you like me to take you there?”

Gwen was already running back to the living room and up the stairs. “No, thank you, George! I can find my way!”

She was slightly breathless as she reached the second floor. She was so eager to get to her friends, she didn’t even think to knock on the door. She opened it and took a deep breath to say something, but stopped short.

At first, she had some trouble understanding what she was witnessing. Arthur and Merlin seemed to be struggling, like they had been doing in Morgana’s car, only now they were naked, for some reason. And lying in Arthur’s bed. Or, better yet, Merlin was lying on his back and had his legs wrapped over Arthur’s hips, while Arthur pushed him back again and again. Merlin was gasping, as if Arthur was suffocating him, although that was impossible, since Arthur’s hands were grabbing Merlin’s legs, keeping them up. Also, Arthur was shoving his-

Wait, was that-?

Gwen took a sharp intake of breath. _Holly Mother of God!_

Gwen shrieked for the second time that afternoon and ran off. She nearly bumped right into the wall in her haste to flee. She thought she heard someone calling out her name, but her legs were working on their own accord, at this point.

She climbed down the stairs and right out of the house. She kept running and running until she reached the street. She stopped to catch her breath and heard her phone ringing. It was Morgana. She picked it up.

“ _Gwen, what’s happened?_ ” Morgana sounded worried. “ _I was in the kitchen when I heard a scream and now George’s saying he saw you running down the stairs. Is everything alright?_ ”

“No, everything’s not alright,” Gwen said in a rush. She felt like crying. “He was ramming it in his butt so hard, Morgana, help!”

“ _He- What? Who? Did you just say ramming_?”

“In his butt!” Gwen confirmed in exasperation. “Yes! I saw it with my own two eyes!”

Her two heterosexual school friends! Fucking! Oh God, how could this be happening?

 _“Wait, where are you?”_ Morgana asked.

Gwen looked around, trying to calm down. “I’m just around the corner of your house.”

“ _Don’t move, I’ll come get you. I’ll buy you an ice cream and you’ll tell me everything, alright? Just calm down. Take a deep breath. I’ll be there in a second._ ”

“Alright.”

Gwen hung up and took a deep breath, reciting the periodic table to stop herself from remembering what she just saw or trying to make sense of it.

.oOo.

“Fuck!” Arthur said as soon as he recovered his ability to speak. He moved away at the same time Merlin pulled back, they both suddenly frantic.

“Shit, shit, shit, oh God!” Merlin was mumbling as he covered himself with a pillow, searching for his clothes.

Arthur picked up his boxers and placed them over his crotch as he walked to the corridor, looking out. “Gwen!” he called, but she was halfway down the stairs already. “GWEN!” He tried again, to no avail. “Fuck!”

He ran back to his room, closing the door behind himself before Morgana could come see what was going on.

“Where is she?” Merlin asked still struggling to put his jeans back on, his eyes round.

“She’s gone!” Arthur said. He cursed repeatedly as he retrieved his clothes from the floor, putting them back on.

“Oh my God, Arthur, she saw us!”

“I know!” Arthur shouted, covering his dread with annoyance. He looked down to see that he still had the condom on. “Shit,” he cursed, pulling it out and throwing it away.

“I thought you had locked the door!”

“I forgot, alright?” Arthur put his T-shirt back on and sat down on the mattress for the shoes.

“What do we do now?” Merlin was still panicking, still half dressed and walking from side to side.

“I don’t know!” Arthur stood up, taking a deep breath. “I’ll figure something out. Now finish getting dressed before Morgana shows up.”

“Morgana! Oh my God!” Merlis wailed. “She and Gwen are best friends!”

“Fuck!” Arthur said again as he rushed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. He slipped his hand through his hair before marching to Morgana’s room. “Morgana?” He knocked on the door, but she didn’t answer. He opened it and looked around; Morgana wasn’t there, although he couldn’t figure out if it was good or bad news.

“May I be of assistance, Mr. Pendragon?” George asked behind him, making Arthur jump.

“Shit, George, I told you to stop creeping up on me.”

“I’m terribly sorry, Mr. Pendragon. If you’re looking for your sister, she just left with Ms. Smith.”

“Oh, bollocks,” Arthur cursed, punching the door. “Great, that’s really great.”

He picked up his phone and tried calling her, but it went straight to voicemail. She wouldn’t pick up if she was driving. He started texting, but found out he didn’t know what to write to her.

“Arthur?”

Arthur looked up to see Merlin’s frightened face. He had finished dressing, although his T-shirt was fairly wrinkled and his hair was still messy. George was nowhere to be seen.

“Morgana left with Gwen,” Arthur said.

“Shit,” Merlin frowned. “This is bad.”

Arthur refrained from giving him a snark retort. Why was Merlin so worried? Morgana wasn’t his sister! She wouldn’t tell Merlin’s mother what happened. Gwen was his friend as well, so what was he scared of? Was he lamenting losing his chance with one of them? Or perhaps both? Maybe he still had a crush on his sister. And he had been flirting with Gwen during that whole stupid assignment, so maybe that was the reason why he was so upset.

Arthur nearly crushed his phone with his hand. He should be the one worrying, not Merlin. Morgana could be telling his father what happened right at this moment! He needed to talk to his sister and he had to be careful, so that she wouldn’t get angry and tell on him out of spite.

He looked down on his phone again, typing the message. ‘ _So, Morgana, do you… know things?_ ’

He regretted it the moment he pressed ‘send’, but there was no turning back now. He kept looking at the screen, dreading the answer, but Morgana wasn’t texting back yet.

“Um,” Merlin said, tentatively. “I should probably leave.”

Arthur looked back to his phone. Morgana was typing. He waited, feeling queasy.

‘ _Oh, I know a great deal of things,_ ” Morgana texted. ‘ _The sky is blue, penguins don’t have knees and you fucked your best friend in the ass._ ’

“Fuck!” Arthur looked up, swallowing. “She knows.”

“Jesus,” Merlin said, looking away. “Do you think she’ll tell everyone?”

Arthur shook his head. “I don’t know.” He looked back to the device and wrote: ‘ _But I’m straight, ok?_ ’, just in case.

‘ _Sure_ ,’ came her reply right after.

“Do you want me to stay?” Merlin asked.

Arthur shook his head again. “Go home, Merlin. I’ll deal with my sister later. And don’t worry, I’ll tell her to leave you out of this.”

Merlin hesitated but nodded, turning his back on him as he walked to the stairs, his shoulders slumped.

Arthur leaned on the wall, covering his face with his hand. What had he done?

.oOo.

“You’re not going to tell our father, are you?” Arthur asked as soon as Morgana walked in, raising to his feet.

“Oh, nice to see you too, little brother!” she said evenly, placing her purse on the chair as she sat on the sofa in front of him. “Have you been waiting here all this time? Where’s your boyfriend?”

“He’s not my boyfriend. I told you, I’m not gay. We were just… fooling around.”

“Sure, keep telling yourself that,” she said, looking down on her phone.

Arthur took a step closer to her. “Morgana, I’m serious-”

“Don’t get your knickers in a twist, I’m not telling out father,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Now sit down and calm yourself.”

“What about Guinevere?”

“She’s traumatized for life, thank you for asking. But she won’t tell anyone either, if that’s what you’re worried about. Poor thing, she had to tell _someone_ and it’s a good thing that it was me, or you’d be screwed. Perhaps more than Merlin,” she smirked at her own pun.

“Leave Merlin out of this, Morgana.”

“Chill! Hey, your boyfriend is safe, I told you-”

“He’s _not my boyfriend_!” Arthur exploded.

Morgana raised her eyebrow at him, reproachfully. “Alright, I get it, you have some issues to figure out yourself. I have to warn you, though; be careful not to hurt Merlin’s feeling while you’re at this.”

“Merlin’s… What, no!” Arthur said. “There’s no feelings between us! I told you, we were just messing around!”

“Are you sure about that? Have you asked him, or are you just assuming, like you always do?”

“I’m not assuming anything,” Arthur said, thoroughly annoyed now. “We established some rules before we started this and we’re both definitely on the same page here.”

“And when exactly did you guys have that talk? Because it’s been nearly half a year since Merlin started coming here. Don’t you think it’s possible something might have changed along the way?”

“Jesus, Morgana, I-” Arthur huffed in irritation. “You know what? Why don’t you mind your own business?” he said and stomped up the stairs.

“Good luck minding yours!” Morgana shouted after him.

 _The nerve of her, honestly_ , Arthur thought as he furiously paced his room a couple of minutes later. She had no idea what she was talking about. She probably just wanted to mess with his head.

And she had apparently succeeded.

.Merlin.

“So?” Merlin asked after sitting down next to him. “Did you talk to your sister?”

Arthur had texted him last night, asking Merlin to meet him at the bleachers during break.

“She isn’t going to tell anyone,” Arthur said, keeping his eyes on the field, where a small group of kids were practicing some kicking. “Did you talk to Guinevere?”

“She’s avoiding me,” Merlin said, sounding hurt. “She didn’t reply any of my texts.”

“Morgana said Gwen’s not going to rat us out either.”

“I’m not worried about-” Merlin sighed. “Arthur, are you alright?”

Arthur looked at Merlin, frowning at the unexpected question. Merlin seemed honestly concerned, so he shook his head, looking back to the field. “I’m just… angry at Morgana. She said a lot of stupid shit at me yesterday. I told her we’re straight, but she thinks… She suggested you might have feelings... you know, _romantic_ feelings for me, which is,” he forced a laugh, “which is crazy and fucked up, right?” He risked a brief glance at Merlin, but looked at him again, when Merlin didn’t seem to be finding it funny as well. In fact, he had his eyes round, as if shocked. “Right Merlin?” He asked again, still trying to sound amused by the whole thing.

Merlin offered him a short and tense smile before looking away. “Right. Um, sorry, I forgot to…” He stood up quickly. “I gotta go. Sorry, we’ll talk later.”

“Merlin!” Arthur called after him, but the boy pretended not to hear it, striding to the exit of the bleachers.

.Merlin.

They didn’t talk later that day, neither the following ones. After being avoided once by Merlin, Arthur knew how to recognize the signs. He was never one to give up so easily, though, and he wasn’t going to change now.

He decided to corner Merlin as he left his godfather’s store.

“Jesus!” Merlin said, jumping in surprise when Arthur walked out from the shadow beside the store. “Arthur, you scared the hell out of me.”

“You’d have known I was here if you cared to read my messages,” Arthur retorted drily.

Merlin looked away. “I forgot my phone at home.”

“Of course,” Arthur said acidly. “Why are you avoiding me again?”

“I’m not! My godfather needed a hand and-”

“Oh, come on, cut the crap! What’s going on? Why won’t you talk to me? Huh?” Arthur insisted and walked around him when Merlin whined, turning away. “And don’t try to deny it, I know there’s something bothering you. Is it because of Morgana? Or Guinevere?”

“I don’t think we should hang out anymore,” Merlin burtled out. He frowned then, biting his lip, as if wishing to take his words back.

Arthur blinked, taken aback. “What?”

Merlin swallowed, still avoiding his eyes. “Look… I think we should stop this… whatever it is that we’re doing. I mean, it’s not right. It’s-”

“Why this now?” Arthur asked, puzzled and annoyed at the same time. “You didn’t seem to mind it until Guinevere caught us. Do you fancy her or something?”

“No!” It was Merlin’s turn to look puzzled. “Of course not!”

“Then why do you want to stop seeing me all of a sudden?” Arthur raised his voice.

“Because I haven’t been completely honest with you!” Merlin shouted back. He slid his hand through his hair in frustration.

Arthur felt cold in the stomach. “What do you mean?”

Merlin looked up to the sky, as if asking heaven for patience or strength. He closed his eyes for a moment before making up his mind. “I’m not straight, Arthur.”

“What did you say?” Arthur couldn’t believe his own ears.

“I said I’m not straight! I thought you knew it by now, or at least suspected. I mean, we’ve been shagging for weeks! You really think I’d let you fuck me on a regular basis if I wasn’t gay?”

Arthur took a step back, shocked by the words. “But we made the rules and-”

“ _You_ made the rules, I simply agreed to them because I didn’t think you’d have it any other way. And I… I...”

“But you… you watched porn with me all this time. And got off with it. Straight porn! You- You like the brunette and skinny girls and-” Arthur started to reason, but Merlin cut him off.

“Wrong again! I _preferred_ them skinny because it was easier for me to _picture myself_ as them. I also enjoyed watching them give head and taking it up the ass, for obvious reasons. You favored those videos and then started searching for bisexual stuff, so I thought deep down you knew this already!”

Arthur was shaking his head no. “You’re kidding me, right? You gotta be kidding me. Is this Morgana’s idea?”

“Arthur, listen to me,” Merlin pleaded, taking a step towards him, but Arthur took another step back.

“Why did you panic when Guinevere found out, then?” Arthur asked, struggling to make sense of the things swirling inside his head.

“Because I’m no pervert! I never wished for people to watch me having sex! Let alone someone as pure as Gwen!”

“What about Morgana, then? You had a massive crush on her since the day you met her!” Arthur accused. “And don’t try to deny it. I know you thought she was pretty.”

“Arthur, your sister is gorgeous; I don’t have to be straight to admit that! Anyone with eyes could see it!”

“You kissed Freya!” Arthur tried next, now close to desperation.

“She kissed me!”

“Shut up!” Arthur exploded, making Merlin jolt back, as if punched. He raised his hands to his temples. “Shit!”

It could not be true. Yet also it could be and it was so fucking confusing and unsettling in more ways than Arthur could count.

 _What have I done?_ he thought to himself as he looked at Merlin’s contrite face.

He fled.

.oOo.

There was a place Arthur loved to go to, back when he was ten. It was a small diner with a video arcade at the back. Arthur used to arrange to meet his friends there, so that they could spent all their free time and coins in it.

That night, Arthur decided he could revive the old times. He wished he could go back in time and have nothing to worry besides picking what to order; he always regretted his choice in the end and asked to switching his meal with Leon.

He missed his friends. Had them turned away from him or had it been the other way around? Why had he stopped hanging out with them?

_Oh, right._

He didn’t want to think about Merlin right now. He immersed himself in the games, playing one after the other, until a waitress came to tell him they were closing.

He headed home, then. As soon as he entered the house, he saw Morgana walking down the stairs in her pajamas, probably heading for the kitchen to get herself some late night snack.

“Where were you?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Around,” Arthur said, too tired to think of a smart answer to his sister’s nosing.

“You look like shit.”

“Thanks,” he said and was about to walk past her when she touched his forearm.

“Hey, care to join me for a sandwich?”

Arthur eyed her suspiciously, trying to figure out what she was up to this time. Morgana always had an agenda. For a moment, he thought back at the possibility that it had all being one of her schemes, but he ruled it out the next second.

“Fine,” he said at last. He hadn’t had anything to eat since the school break, after all.

They went to the kitchen and busied themselves with preparing their sandwiches from the leftovers in the fridge, finding some apple juice as well. They sat down to eat at the table, something they hadn’t done in a while.

“I broke Merlin,” Arthur said after a couple of bites.

Morgana frowned at him, wiping a drop of catchup from the corner of her mouth. “What?”

“I turned Merlin gay,” he cleared out. “Or, at least, I made him think he is gay.”

“Hm?” Morgana let out, which sounded like an “Oh!” mixed with an “Oh?” through a mouthful of sandwich. She swallowed. “And why do you think that was your doing?”

Arthur sighed. “You see, I was the one who took all the initiatives. Always. I made him watch porn with me; I suggested we started doing… stuff to each other; I came up with the idea of having full on sex… He didn’t want it at first, but I insisted and persisted until he gave in. And now he thinks he’s gay and doesn’t want to hang out anymore. I mean, he never had sex with a girl before, how can he know what’s like?”

Morgana nearly choked on her joice. “You mean, he was a virgin?” she said, her eyes round. “And he agreed to have sex with you?”

“After I insisted, yeah,” Arthur said. “That’s the whole point. He was so innocent, and I corrupted him!”

Morgana barked a laugh at that. “Seriously?”

Arthur rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “I should’ve seen it coming,” he said leaving his half-eaten sandwich on his plate and preparing to get up.

“No, Arthur, seriously?” she asked, sobering up again. “You really believe that?”

“What other explanation there could possibly be?” he said, annoyed.

“That he’s always been gay, of course. That he only agreed to all that because he was sexually attracted to you and he tried to resist it at first.”

Arthur snorted. “You think he's sexually attracted to me?” The very idea was absurd.

“Why did _you_ come up with this?” Morgana asked, instead of answering. “Having sex with him, I mean?”

“Because it was convenient! I'm in between girlfriends; he's a helpless nerd with no social skills; we were both horny, so why not?”

“Right. And would you have suggested it if it was any other friend of yours? Like Leon, for example?”

Arthur couldn't help the mental image of himself fucking Leon and he twisted his nose in disgust. “Ew! No!”

“And how would you feel if Merlin started dating someone else, be it a girl or a boy?”

“I…” Arthur frowned, thinking of Merlin kissing Freya or Guinevere or - God forbid - one of his friends like, say, Percival? The boy looked like a bloke any gay guy would fall for, with his toned muscles and impressive high. Although he was too quiet and unimaginative for Merlin, really; they would never work out. Gwaine perhaps? Arthur wouldn’t put it past him to swing that way, let alone after that comment on Merlin’s muscles. Jesus, but he was a pervert! He was in no way fit for someone so innocent like Merlin. Or, worse even, perfectly gentleman Lancelot? With his latin accent and deep, caring brown eyes? Hell, no!

Something must have showed on his face, because Morgana looked very pleased with herself, all of a sudden.

“There you have it,” she offered him a pitying pat on the hand. “If you can't figure things out by yourself after that, I'm afraid there's nothing I can do for you.” She stood up, taking her sandwich with her. “Good night, little brother!”

Arthur stood there agape for a long while.

.Merlin.

It was too easy for Arthur to tumble into bed with Vivian again. She had been lingering around the bleachers after practice, eyeing Arthur’s naked chest with hungry eyes while he took a break to drink some water and rest. All it took was for Arthur to approach her with a smile and ask if she had any plans for that evening.

Arthur had planned to take her to the movies or to diner, but she invited him to come over to her house instead, stating that her father was taking the night shift at the local police station.

The sex was satisfying as always, although Arthur soon remembered why they had broken up. She was downright annoying! She wouldn’t stop talking, not even during their shag. And it wasn’t even sexy dirty talk, either. She kept ‘encouraging’ him to ‘admit’ how much he had missed her; saying she knew he’d come back to her eventually and bitching about Sophia.

The thing was, he didn't really enjoy it, but not just because of that. He couldn't help but compare it with his time with Merlin. They worked so well together and it felt so easy to be with him!

Perhaps Merlin had broken him as well, ruining him for others. They probably shouldn't have mixed friendship with sex like that. It was hard to overcome it now that he knew what it was like to be intimate with someone in so many levels.

.Merlin.

Arthur scowled at the crabs poster hanging on the wall next to the door to the Biology classroom. It seemed Guinevere had finished it by herself, although she had included Merlin's and Arthur's name in the footer.

And now she and Merlin seemed to be on talking terms again. They were sitting next to each other at the back of the classroom, talking in hushed voices while Prof. Muirden wrote something on the blackboard.

Arthur couldn’t stop resenting her and that stupid poster. If it wasn’t for it, Merlin and him would still be friends. They would still be casually fucking and Arthur would keep blissfully ignorant of Merlin’s _inclinations_.

Also, Vivian wouldn't be texting him nonstop since last night and Sophia wouldn't be sending him murderous looks from the other side of the room.

So basically, it was all Guinevere's fault and Arthur was in his right to feel betrayed by Merlin's proximity with her. Especially when Merlin didn’t seem to have any trouble leaving Arthur behind.

.Merlin.

Arthur had tried watching porn again, but it wasn’t the same without Merlin. He kept thinking about the things Merlin had said about picturing himself as the girl and suddenly it felt all wrong. The hole scene looked fake and empty; the girl’s noises sounded too forced and high-pitched. He couldn’t get in the mood, so he ended up closing the lid and walking away, angry and frustrated.

He avoided it altogether for some time, but some mornings he woke up hard after some confusing and fuzzy dream and he couldn’t stop his mind from wandering back to his time with Merlin while dealing with it on his own.

.Merlin.

Merlin was flirting with Gwaine. There was no other explanation to the way the boy was laughing at Gwaine’s stupid jokes. Also, Merlin had given the apple he had brought as lunch in exchange for Gwaine’s smelly cheese puffs.

Arthur could swear Merlin had been flirting with Elyan too during last Maths class, leaning over his shoulder to point out something in his notebook, not bothering to move out of his personal space for a while as they talked.

“Hey! Arthur!” Arthur heard someone calling and looked to the side, finding Lancelot frowning at him.

“What?” Arthur barked grumpily.

“I asked if you’re still up for practice today,” Lancelot asked, sounding apologizing. “Percy said you weren’t feeling well earlier.”

Arthur looked at Percival, who was still sending him concerned looks. The boy had caught Arthur fumming during Maths and asked if he was alright and Arthur told him he had a headache just to shake him off of the real problem, taking part across the classroom. Arthur looked around their table, realizing everyone had his eyes on him now, including Merlin.

As soon as Arthur’s eyes met Merlin’s, though, the boy looked away.

“Of course I’m still up for it. I’m not dying. I just have a headache,” Arthur said, turning his attention back to the cookie he had bought earlier. It was Merlin’s favorite.

“Albin said he’s throwing a party tonight, so we’re thinking of heading straight there after practice,” Gwaine said. “Want to join us?”

Arthur shrugged. “Sure.”

As if a spell had been broken, they all started to talk again. Only, Arthur noticed someone facing him from the corner of his eyes and looked to the side to see Guinevere assessing him with suspicion. She looked away quickly after being caught.

Arthur sighed and took a bite of the cookie.

.oOo.

‘ _You never talk to me anymore,_ ’ Arthur texted Merlin that night.

He waited a couple of minutes, but the answer never came, so he continued his monologue. ‘ _So what if you’re gay? We could still have kept our arrangement going. It was working so well!_ ’

Arthur stared at the unanswered words for a moment before dropping the phone on the mattress, sighing. He had been to the party after practice and had drunk anything standing in front of him long enough. Coach was going to tear him a new one when he heard about that. Arthur wasn’t particularly worried about that right now, though. He had flirted with some girls at the party from afar, but every time he tried approaching one of them, Vivian showed up out of nowhere, trying to loop her arm around him while joining in the conversation. The girl was nuts, really. He tried to shake her off gently, but she simply wouldn’t get it!

He left early, claiming he was feeling sick. It wasn’t exactly a lie, since he was indeed sick of the loud music and pointless chatter.

He missed Merlin terribly. He couldn’t focus on classes lately, he was grumpy all the time and his performance at training was shit.

Arthur picked up his phone again. ‘ _I miss you,_ ’ he wrote.

He perked up when he noticed Merlin was typing something.

‘ _I miss you too_ ,’ came his reply.

Arthur’s heart leaped and he was about to ask him to come over when another text came.

‘ _But I can’t go on like this, Arthur, I’m sorry. It’s not what I want._ ’

“Fuck!” Arthur threw the phone away, not caring to look where it landed. He pressed his eyes shut in an attempt to hold back the tears of frustration and blaming it on the alcohol.

.Merlin.

Arthur barged into Morgana’s room without knocking, the next morning. “What did you mean-” His question was interrupted by Morgana’s scream and he had to duck when she threw something at him - a nail polish, he noticed after it struck the door. “Jesus, Morgana!”

“How dare you!” she said angrily. “I could’ve been naked!”

“The door was ajar!” Arthur tried to reason with her.

“So what? It doesn’t give you the right to walk in any moment you feel like!”

Arthur gave her an eye roll. “I’m sorry, alright? It won’t happen again.”

“Of course it won’t,” Morgana said in a tone that promised he would wish to die in case he did it again. She bent over to inspect her toe nails. “What do you want?”

Arthur dropped his shoulders. “I meant to ask what did you mean about Merlin’s feelings, the other day.”

Morgana raised an eyebrow at him before turning her attention back to her feet. She shrugged. “I meant exactly what I said: that you should have been more careful not to hurt his feelings. But of course you went and did the very opposite of that.”

Arthur frowned. “You really think he likes me?”

Morgana snorted. “I _know_ he likes you. I’m friends with Gwen, remember?”

Arthur took a step closer to her, suddenly eager to know more. “Did Gwen say that? What exactly did she say?”

“That he’s sad and heartbroken, of course. I’m sure even you could tell that, dear brother.”

Arthur shook his head. “No, I thought he was fine! I thought he didn’t miss me at all! I mean, he avoided me entirely, but he didn’t seem to be suffering from it, you know?”

It was Morgana’s turn to roll her eyes at him. “He’s trying to put up a front, you dumbass. He’s not the kind of guy who enjoys being pitied. He’s probably trying to move on.”

“He is?” Arthur asked, worried. “Is he seeing someone?”

“Aww,” Morgana said. “Jealous, are you?” She teased. She didn’t give him time to react, though. “Don’t worry, he’s not seeing anyone. At least not yet.”

Not sure of what to tell her, Arthur nodded and left, closing the door behind him.

.oOo.

As he searched for gay porn later that day, Arthur told himself it was for scientific purposes only. It had nothing to do with his conversation with Morgana. Nope, absolutely nothing.

He hesitated before clicking on one of the videos, not so sure about the tags, but he was too curious to back off now.

The kissing was weird, at first. One of the guys had a bit of a stubble and Arthur couldn’t stop wondering if it burned the other guy. Once he got past that initial awkwardness, Arthur started to pay close attention to the working of lips and tongues. The younger looking guy descended a trail of kisses down the older’s chest, paying special attention to his nipples.

When the younger guy started blowing the other, Arthur cursed, sticking his hand inside his pants to touch himself. He couldn’t help remembering Merlin saying he pictured himself blowing the guys on the videos. Arthur added some lube and closed his eyes as he worked his hand over his cock head the way the man was doing on the screen, then down his shaft and up again. Soon, Arthur closed his eyes and pictured Merlin’s mouth on him. He gasped as his cock twitched in appreciation. He could picture Merlin looking up at him, seeing if he was enjoying it, while keeping his plush lips wrapped around his cock, sucking and teasing him with his tongue.

“Shit,” Arthur cursed, picking up speed. He wasn’t going to last, but he didn’t really care. He wanted to come inside Merlin’s mouth; he wanted it so bad!

He grunted as he came, stroking himself all through his orgasm until he was left over-sensitive and shaking. He opened his eyes to see the guys still rutting against each other and kissing again, sensual and hungry and probably tasting of cock, but they didn’t seem to mind one bit.

Arthur closed the lid, his mind swirling with so many possibilities.

.Merlin.

Arthur couldn’t stop looking at Merlin’s lips. Had Merlin’s mouth always been this gorgeous? He was straight out staring and people were probably going to notice it, but he couldn’t stop himself. He also couldn’t fathom why he had never kissed Merlin before.

Of course, there had been the rules, but they seemed so stupid right now! He should have kissed Merlin when he had the chance. Now he would probably never know what it was like to kiss that invitingly shaped mouth.

And to think that Merlin would probably kiss other guys and have sex with them…

Arthur growled just thinking of it.

Suddenly, Arthur finally understood what Morgana was trying to show him weeks ago. Arthur wanted Merlin to himself. He missed Merlin and he wanted him back. He wanted them to hang out again, like they used to, studying and playing and laughing. He also wanted to french kiss him, suck his nipples, rim him and fuck him senseless.

He wanted everything with Merlin and if it made him a little less straight, who cared? Arthur certainly shouldn’t care. Let alone when Merlin’s lips were moving like he was whispering his name again and again, each time sounding more urgent.

“Arthur!” Merlin called again, shaking his open hand in front of his face, and Arthur jumped back to reality.

“What?” he asked, a little stunned that Merlin was addressing him, even though he looked worried.

“Are you alright?” Merlin asked in a hushed voice, still assessing him closely. He was sitting across from Arthur at Biology, just like the old times. Unlike the old times, though, he hadn’t chosen to sit there, but it had been the only empty chair when he entered the class.

As if spellbound, Arthur’s eyes zeroed on Merlin’s mouth as he spoke.

“Arthur!” Merlin called again, sounding a little exasperated.

Arthur looked up at his eyes again. “Can I talk to you after class?” he burtled out before he could talk himself out of it.

Merlin seemed surprised by the question, but he ended up nodding. “Sure. Meet you at the gate?”

Arthur shook his head. “Library.”

Merlin hesitated for only a moment before nodding again. They both looked ahead when Muirden called their attentions back to the front.

 _Great, now what?_ Arthur thought to himself.

.oOo.

Arthur pretended to be reading the index of a book as he waited in the back of the library, right at the corridor, where he could see the door. He kept an eye on the entrance, waiting for Merlin to show up. He was all nerves and anticipation. His hands were sweating and he felt cold in the stomach every time he had a glimpse of short black hair.

When Merlin finally showed up, Arthur waved and gestured for Merlin to follow him into the corridor, moving ahead. He walked to the furthest corner of the place, looking over his shoulder just to see if Merlin was following. When he finally reached the most secluded place, he turned around and waited for Merlin to join him, his frown creased with apprehension.

“Arthur, what’s going on?” Merlin asked quietly.

“Whatever you do, don’t scream,” Arthur warned before grabbing him by the shoulders and pushing him against the wall, joining his lips to Merlin’s before the boy could react.

“Mmmh!” Merlin mumbled, pushing him away, his eyes round. “The hell-”

“Shh!” Arthur said and lunged forward again, holding Merlin’s face in place as he kissed him full on the lips.

He simply pressed their lips together at first, feeling Merlin’s neck muscles tense. He backed off a few inches to stare at his face.

“What are you doing?” Merlin asked, looking puzzled.

“Something I should have done a long while ago,” Arthur said and then he leaned forward do kiss Merlin properly, taking advantage of his lack of reaction to gently suck his lower lip. Merlin was still tense, but Arthur persisted until Merlin finally kissed back.

Arthur never thought kissing someone could be this intense. His heart was beating fast and furious, he was slightly out of breath and he couldn’t get enough of Merlin’s lips. Merlin, for his part, was gradually relaxing, moving his head closer to Arthur, instead of trying to back off. His hands tentatively run up Arthur’s arms towards his neck, pulling him in.

Arthur backed away just a fraction, keeping his eyes shut and their foreheads connected as he tried to catch his breath. “I missed you,” he confessed in a whisper.

“Arthur,” Merlin whispered back and this time he was the one to start the kiss, pulling Arthur closer.

Arthur pressed his whole body into Merlin’s then and darted his tongue out to lick Merlin’s lips. Soon Merlin’s tongue accepted the invitation, meeting his in a sloppy and uncoordinated dance. Merlin let out a soft moan and Arthur fit their mouths together, desperate to claim every inch of Merlin he was yet to claim, like the inside of his mouth.

Merlin responded in kind, moaning softly into the kiss. The sound he made travelled straight to Arthur’s groin. He was dying to rub himself on Merlin, but this wasn’t the time nor the place, so he tried to slow down, savoring the moment and making it last as long as he could.

They parted softly, both left breathless and stunned, looking into each other’s eyes. Merlin looked beautiful like this, with his eyes dark and his lips swollen. Only Arthur realized there was something off with him: he looked sad.

“Arthur…” he started, sighing. “I told you, I can’t do this anymore.”

“Why?” Arthur whined, taken aback. “Are you seeing someone?”

“No, I-”

“Do you fancy someone, then?”

Merlin swallowed hard, looking pained.

It was enough of an answer to Arthur, who took a step back, hurt and regretful. “I see,” he said. He slipped one hand through his hair, looking away. He felt all of his hopes crushed at once and his heart constricted. There _was_ someone else, after all. How could he have been such a fool?

“Arthur…” Merlin started, but Arthur stopped him with an open handed gesture.

“You don’t have to say anything, I get it,” he said, turning around and preparing to leave. He hadn’t taken two steps when he turned back again, unable to hold back the question any longer. He met Merlin’s dejected face with as much dignity as he could muster. “Just tell me one thing and I promise I’ll leave you alone. Did you ever fancy me?”

“What?” Merlin asked, suddenly puzzled.

“Did you ever have romantic feelings for me? Or were you just physically attracted to me? I know I took too long to figure things out, but I need to know if I ever had a chance with you.”

“A… chance?” Merlin took a step closer to him. “What do you mean?”

Arthur shook his head, already regretting posing the question. “Forget it.”

“But, what about Vivian?” Merlin asked.

Arthur frowned. “What about her?”

“She’s telling everyone you two are back together.”

“She’s what?” Arthur asked, positively mad now. “I swear, that girl’s mental!”

Merlin looked expectant, suddenly. “You didn’t sleep with her, then?”

“Well...” Arthur scratched the back of his head, watching Merlin’s stance deflate again. “But it was a one time thing and it didn’t mean anything! She means nothing to me, Merlin, you’ve got to believe me.”

Merlin looked down, biting his lip. Great, now Arthur had completely ruined it. Merlin would never want anything to do with him again.

“It’s you,” Merlin said, still looking down. “I fancy you.”

“You do?” Arthur felt his chest flooding with hope again.

Merlin finally looked up. “I always have. I just… never allowed myself to acknowledge my feelings, because, well… I never thought you could be interested in a boy. Let alone me.”

Arthur felt bold enough to reach out and caress Merlin’s cheek. “What’s wrong with you?”

Merlin shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. “You said I’m too skinny.”

Arthur huffed an unbelieving laugh. “You _are_ too skinny,” he said. “But I find that I have a thing for clueless skinny boys. Or at least one boy in particular.”

This time, they met halfway to a kiss full of longing and open affection. Merlin cradled Arthur's face between his hands and Arthur pulled him closer by the waist.

They jumped apart at hearing a high-pitched shriek and Arthur looked over his shoulder to see Vivian covering her mouth, her eyes round with shock.

“Miss Odinson!” they heard the librarian’s outraged reproach.

“You… scoundrel!” Vivian said. “This is it, I’m done with you!” she shouted and stomped out before any of them could react.

“Well,” Merlin said, calling Arthur’s attention back to him, “at least we were decent, this time.”

Arthur laughed despite himself.

“Mr. Pendragon!” the librarian said, showing up at the corridor they were hidden. “Get out now before I start handing out detentions!”

Arthur grabbed Merlin’s wrist and pulled him. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

“Were to?” Merlin asked in a hushed tone, following him close.

“Where do you want to go?” Arthur answered in the same conspiratory tone.

“I don’t know…” Merlin grinned at him. “Your place, maybe?”

Arthur smiled back at him, stopping once they reached the outside corridor and pulling Merlin to the side, so that they were both leaning on the wall, face to face. He never let go of Merlin’s hand. “As much as I love the prospect, Merlin, how about we go somewhere first? Like, the mall or the park, or maybe just grab some dinner?”

Merlin’s frowned, looking at him with growing suspicion. “Are you asking me on a date?”

Arthur shrugged, trying to look casual about the whole thing, even though his heart was beating fast with anticipation. “It depends on if you’re interested.”

Merlin bit his lower lip, looking more sassy than sheepish. “I might be interested in the ‘grabbing some dinner’ part of the date.”

Arthur smirked then, pulling Merlin with him when he started to walk. “Come on, then. I know just the place.”

.Merlin.

**One and a half years later…**

Gwaine was throwing a Warm Up Graduation Party, as he called it. The school team had just won the inter school championship and everyone felt like celebrating. There was also the fact that they were all going separate ways in a few weeks, so they tried to spend as much time together as they could now.

Well, not all of them were going separate ways, actually, since Gwen, Lancelot and Gwaine were going to Cambridge and Arthur, Merlin and Leon were going to Oxford. The others were still not sure what they were going to do next or where to go.

Gwen was experiencing a mixture of excitement and melancholy at what was to come, but she was glad she wouldn't have to part ways with Lance. He was all that she dreamed in a man and no matter how much people said that high school love wasn't meant to last, she thought they could be among the very few couples against the odds.

And not just the both of them. She could tell Merlin and Arthur had something special going on as well. She looked at the both of them bickering across the room. Apparently, Merlin had spilled something on Arthur's new shoes and Arthur was threatening to rub Merlin's nose on it to teach him a lesson. Gwen smiled fondly at them.

She had had her doubts at first, after the shock of walking in on them shagging, yet Morgana had never had a doubt that they were meant to be together. When Merlin told him Arthur had first asked him out, Gwen had worried that Merlin was going to get badly hurt, in the end. She feared Arthur was just using Merlin, like he had used Vivian and Sophia before him, but then Arthur didn’t seem to care to keep things hidden and suddenly every one of their friends knew they were a thing. They hardly acted like a sappy couple, always arguing and poking and making fun of each other, but their eyes spoke of complicity, loyalty and devotion when they thought the other wasn’t looking; they were always the firsts to stand up to each other and the briefest of looks they shared seemed to carry a lot of meaning.

“Hey, I have an idea,” Gwaine was saying at Gwen’s side, calling everyone's attention. “How about we start a game?”

There followed a round of groans and objections, but Gwaine was far from being  discouraged by the negative reaction. “Come on, it’ll be fun! And everyone will get to tell the most funny or embarrassing thing that happened to them during high school!”

Percival quirked an eyebrow at him. “And then what?”

Gwaine shrugged. “Nothing! That’s the game!”

“No booze involved?” Elyan asked, suspicious.

“Weeeell, if you insist, we could pass around a bottle of Vodka,” Gwaine said, grabbing said bottle and encouraging people to come closer. “Gwen, sweetheart, come over here!”

Gwen glanced at Lance, who looked amused. She shrugged. “You know what, I’m in!”

“That’s the spirit!” Gwaine said, placing a hand around her shoulders when she sat beside him. The others soon followed, although reluctantly.

“I think you had enough of this,” Lance said, taking the glass of gin and tonic away from his girlfriend’s hand.

Gwen moaned in complaint, but didn’t offer any resistance. Maybe she really was a little tipsy, but she had just turned eighteen and she was graduating, therefore she had every right to act a little irresponsibly, if only for tonight.

“How about you getting started then, Gwen?” Gwaine suggested when they were all settled.

“Me?” Gwen asked, taken by surprise.

“Yeah! Tell us what’s the most funny or embarrassing thing that you can remember! It doesn’t have to be something that happened to you, exactly, but perhaps something that you witnessed?”

“Oh dear,” Gwen said, her eyes finding Merlin’s as if on their own accord. She giggled, feeling her cheeks heat up at the memory.

“Fuck,” Merlin seemed to go pale in an instant, grabbing Arthur’s arm in alarm. “Gwen, please don’t…” he pleaded, shaking his head.

“Ohh this is gonna be awesome, I can tell,” Gwaine said, rubbing his hands together. “Come on, spill it out!”

Gwaine’s encouragement was echoed by the others and soon they were all urging Gwen to talk, except for Merlin and Arthur. The latter didn’t seem to be that worried, though, judging by the half smile on his lips and the way he patted Merlin’s hand, still clutching his arm.

Gwen averted her eyes from her friends and cleared her throat, making everyone go quiet. “Well, it all started with me, Arthur and Merlin getting an assignment about crabs...”

Merlin groaned and face-palmed.

.oO The End Oo.

**Author's Note:**

>  **Prompt:** Based on this Tumblr post: http://danwasonfireonce.tumblr.com/post/67903778496/danwasonfireonce-danwasonfireonce-i-just
> 
> Summary:  
> "I JUST FOUND OUT THAT TWO OF MY “HETEROSEXUAL” GUY BEST FRIENDS WERE FUCKING EACH OTHER AND MY BEST FRIEND CAUGHT THEM IM CHOKING"
> 
> iPhone screen shot [from friend who caught them] that reads:  
> "HE WAS RAMMING IT IN HIS BUTT SO HARD MOLLY HELP"  
> Caption: this is the best day ever
> 
> iPhone screen shot [from one of the 'heterosexual guy best friends']:  
> 'heterosexual guy': "hey! do you... know things..."  
> poster: "the sky is blue, penguins don't have knees and you fucked your best friend in the ass"  
> 'heterosexual guy': "oh"  
> 'heterosexual guy': "but i'm straight ok"


End file.
